This Oppurtunity Makes Me Feel Spoiled...

I am so blessed to have ended up where I am today. And I really mean that as "where I am." I have, just this week, moved to Chicago for college, all the way from a teeny town in Maryland which had only a post office and feed supply store to its name. But to me, this isn't just any move to college.

For one, I am attending my dream college. It is small, with fewer than 100 students, and has a rather unique Great Books curriculum centered around discussion. The college as a whole is governed by everyone who is a part of it: faculty, staff, and students alike. I'm still unfamiliar with how the Assembly, our little Parliament-type democracy, works, as I have only been here for a few days, but I know that everyone has an equal say. And it made me happy to know that I would always have really good professors, as there are students on the committee that is in charge of firing and hiring faculty.

I am attending my dream college. But it isn't on my dream campus, sadly. Two years ago, the Assembly made the decision to move from the campus of Victorian houses without heating to sit on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology. We have one floor of offices and classrooms, and are granted housing. Great housing, at that. On-campus apartments, with brand new furniture, that were previously only available to graduate students, have been given to us. It is wonderful! I really am able to feel at home here, and have been paired up with a wonderful roommate who doesn't get annoyed by me. Also, can anyone say free cable TV?

Also, as a result of there being multiple colleges on this campus, there are a lot of students that I will never have classes with. And each one of them... every person here, is so nice. I'm not at all used to random people coming over and trying to help me get a kite into the air, or having stimulating discussions in the elevator. I'm not used to people who I can actually trust not to rifle through my purse if I drop in on a table in the cafeteria while I get my food. It's all so new and exciting, and it's helping me to break out of my shell.

My classes are fun, my professors and classmates are fun. Everyone is incredibly nice. And this shy girl is starting to realize that she's not so shy after all. I'm still a slob... no question about that, and I'm still just as random and hyper as ever. But I'm finally dropping the protective shell I'd built around myself to shield me from the outside world. I've found such a wonderful place where I can grow and learn without fear or inhibitions. And to tell the truth, it makes me feel quite spoiled. From what I know, not many people are given such a wonderful opportunity for higher education. I don't know how I managed to get here, but I am eternally thankful for it. My future starts here.

Of course, there are some downsides, as I'm coming from the country to the city, such as light and noise all the time, but I know I'll adjust. But I'm starting to wonder how in moving to the city, the biggest spider I've ever seen got into my ninth floor apartment, and I somehow managed to get poison ivy for the first time in years...