The Last First Day…
The last first day of undergrad is an exciting place to be, but I might have set myself up for failure.
Before getting to campus, I started to build up certain expectations in my head. Coming back to school, there was so much excitement - I was thinking I'm finally going to party it up, hang out with friends, and make those lasting memories everyone talks about. The excitement was totally there Monday, Tuesday... and then Wednesday happened (or didn't happen, I should say). If you know GT, the first Wednesday of the semester is typically THE night everyone heads to MJQ - this underground bar that's basically GT central. It's the place where you dance it out with friends and come back soaked in spilled alcohol, needing to deep clean your body from all the tipsy students. If there's ever a time to go out, the first week is it. Looking around and texting people to see if they wanted to go out, all I got was silence, or the occasional "I have class tomorrow." Even turning to people I just met, trying to find new friend groups to go out with, everything fell through hours before the pre-games.
I was down in my feelings on Thursday into early Friday morning, coming to realize that I'd built up these expectations for my last year knowing the situation I was coming back to and knowing the person I am.
But then something unexpected happened (well more than I anticipated), I woke up to fresh snowfall in ATLANTA, which gave me a boost like no other. While lying in my bed contemplating what to do, I made a game plan: workout, sauna, and then play in the snow before anyone else. Hopping on the treadmill and letting my mind run started to help me reframe my expectations and what I want out of this semester. Keeping it closer to my goals and who I am. As I have a good idea what I'd like to do in the future, I'll hold that to myself for a little bit until I get a better grasp on this semester, it is only the first week after all.
It's weird how snow can do so much. After the sauna, I immediately went out and started to build a couple of snowmen and just had fun. I saw other people having snowball fights and building massive snowmen on the roof of our apartment building, but weirdly, I was content with building my own snowmen and making a little video for my friends and family to watch.
Looking ahead, I'm realizing that this semester might be different than I imagined, but that's not really a surprise. Instead of trying to force the typical college experience (let's be honest, when have I ever been typical?), I'm creating my own Shea experience. Whether that's solo adventures with my camera, finding new ways to connect with people who share my interests, or just being okay with doing things my own way - let's see what videos and content I create during this semester.
SK
