So Friday night was really hard. The whole day was. We went to a few stores for last minutes things and some essential groceries for me to bring down with me. Then we just packed all day until my dad came home and could help us get all the boxes, bags, and suitcases into the rental truck. (That was not fun...). After a night of crying, I finally went to bed around 10:30ish and woke-up at 2:20am to throw some clothes on, but a few last minute things in the car and then get ready to head out on the road. I was so tired and in such a daze. I took one last picture of my cozy perfect room and said good-bye.
I tried to sleep off and on in the car, but that is always rough. What wasn't rough was cold car buckwheat zucchini pancakes π I also got a medium hot REGULAR coffee at a DD rest stop. I wanted that buzz from the caffeine to maybe put me in a better mood on that dreary sad day. It didn't work like it did that first time I can caffeinated coffee though...bummer.
Eventually we got to my campus and the unloading began. Our truck (we rented a Tahoe) really wasn't even that big so we had trouble finding room for everything, but somehow we got that thing packed to the brim. My one roommate is away on a trip for one of her programs, and my other two roommates weren't there yet when I arrived. This gave us some time to take over the common room while we slowly painfully started unpacking and organizing everything into my mini room. We took a break about half way though to get back in the car and find the Target, Best Buy, and then a grocery store to pick up some cold things like my almond milk! O, my mom and I got Sweetgreen for lunch π Win! I can a floor meeting at 5:30 so we had to rush back and finish a few things. I didn't want my family to leave. It was horrible. My heart was ripped out.
My mom took the obligatory dorm-move-in photo and then my one roommate took a photo of my mom and me together before they left.
Yea, that was hard...very, very hard. But there was no time to wallow. My two roommates and I headed down to our meeting and then out to find the buses that would be taking all the freshman at GW to the Mount Vernon Estate (after hours). Well this was a crappy first night experience and was so unorganized. There weren't enough buses to take us on the 30 minute drive and my one roommate got stuck back at campus until the even was almost over. (They didn't even have enough boxed dinners to give everyone. Wasn't a problem for me since I ate before, but it was bad.). The event was so boring and no one wanted to be there. Some professor droned on and on about George Washington for at least 30 minutes in front of a field and 2000+ college freshman on their first night. Then we were supposed to go around the estate and find facts be listing to the actors in the different buildings. They then tried to provide "dessert" at the end of this affair. Their idea was to have like 5 tables with random plates of cookies and brownies. When they said go, it was like a mob from hell. Picture 2000+ college kids rushing at these 5 little tables and attacking the cookies. (I'm surprised no one got trampled!) It was a rough night and we didn't' get back until 12:30am. All I know is I crashed. I had been up for almost 24 hours.
I can't connect my laptop to the wireless network, so on Saturday morning I headed into the city (by myself) to the normal campus to get some IT guys to fix it. The connection worked when they did it there, but not at my dorm. So they gave me an ethernet cable (thank god!). Otherwise...blogging and school work would be rather difficult. I'll tell you all about my classes later in the week! For now, I will leave you with some more dorm room pictures after a little more unpacking. I am still not done and still moving things around, but can get the idea!
Just some of my spices and plates π
More food goodies!
Stock up! (I spy coconut butter...and a lot of cashews!)
Ending with the bathroom! See you all later! I will probably just be back with the Finisher on Friday plus an update on how my first week of classes went! XOXO O man, I almost forgot. The whole dorm doesn't have cable! There is something wrong with it right now, so my TV I brought isn't actually working at the moment...sad stuff!
So tell me:
+ What was your Freshman dorm like? How many roommates did you have?
+ Did your school have any planned welcome events? This whole week is welcome week for us. We did a "Target-Take-Over" on Sunday night, other various events we can attend, my school (The Elliott School) is having a pizza party tonight (I am going for the free shirt!), and things like the Organization and Club fair this weekend.
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masala girl
wow, you had your own room with a commmon room your freshman year>! most schools i know dont have that until their junior year! my room next year will be like that, i cannot wait to have my OWN KITCHEN and not have to use a dirty common kitchen π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I wish I had my own kitchen, but I was put in that building due to my dietary needs.
masala girl
Ah I see. I have IBS and most of the food on my campus was processed crap. I cooked most of my food, had frozen meals from home, some canne/frozen foods and some froom restaurants. The best they could do was get me a room across the restroom haha. It actually was good!
kimmythevegan
This is such a tough, yet exciting transition for you! I'm hoping you are feeling more settled in now and enjoying college life =) I remember having a rough time at first, but it got better when I made some friends and got my schedule in order. Your room is cute! It's nice that you have your own and just have to share common areas with a few people.
Keep us posted!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks for the support Kimmy, I will!
Bailey K.
I really hope you love this new experience called college. I started college exactly 10 years ago, and it changed my life. I wanted to start all over, so I went to a school where I knew no one and had no ties to whatsoever. I learned to be independent, and that, for me, was the best part. I'm now 28 and to this day, the people I call my best friends are people I met my first year in college. You'll do great! P.S. There will always be unorganized, boring events you have to go to, but there will also be incredible fun events to attend as well! P.S.S. Your dorm room is huge!! My first dorm looked like a large closet. There were two of us in that room, and we had a communal bathroom and a shared "kitchen" for each floor of the building that was never used! π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Right now I could do without college.....I'm hating it.
Kristen
Catching up on old posts, and OH MY GOD your room is so cute! That is one of the nicest freshman dorm rooms I've ever seen! I can't believe you get your own room and only have to share the common area! My freshman dorm room was horrible - 3 of us girls in one small room and we definitely all didn't get along. At first they didn't like me (I didn't drink a lot and would get upset when they threw parties in the room) and then they got into a fight and would only talk to me and not each other! Plus it was old and the heater didn't work. So jealous of your room and having your own personal space!
And the freshman night sounds pretty rough! Hopefully things get better and more organized soon. Running over to read your newest post now!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It may look nice...but we are having so many problems!
My roommates are really good and we all get along! No parties here (no of us are like that anyway), but we really don't even see each other much, haha!
Haha, thanks love!
Kalliste
So you get your own room but have a common area with a few others? That seems ok, when you first said I thought it'd be 1 room with all 4 of you in it π
It's a small place but you made it look nice : ) Hope you feel better about it soon.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yea no, each individual with a common room and bathroom.
Thanks!
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table
So exciting!!! Enjoy yourself. College is such a fun time. Your dorm looks WAY nicer that the crap-hole I lived in. π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Hahaha! Thanks Laura. It looks nice but there are 1000 negatives to it! (It's all a facade!)
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table
Yeah... but you have the rest of your life to worry about having nice things. Enjoy the flexibility while your young. At least it doesn't matter it anything gets messed up!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yea, but the price of this dorm plus the fact that the mailbox doesn't open, the cable doesn't work, the internet doesn't work well either, our AC was broken, our lights don't work right, and I woke-up with 20 bug bites on my legs this morning...things are going down hill, haha! And the first day, the shower head fell off on my roommate! No good for a dorm that is only a few years old!
Natalie
Reminds me a lot of my own experience. Parents leaving always makes me cry, and I'm 3 years in! After the first week I start to get used to and even enjoy my independence though. I guarantee it gets easier π
LOL, I love your stocked up cabinets and snacks stashed everywhere.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
This first week has felt like a whole year! How am I going to make it through more!?
Haha, gotta be prepared π
Christina @ Juggling Real Food and Real Life
Oh Rebecca! It will get better. Change is always hard. Your room is really adorable and it looks like you have many of the comforts of home. In a short time............you will start calling college home. Keep blogging, keep studying..............your future is out there. Grab it sweet girl! I'm sure your family is very proud of you and there to support you all along the way. And............you've got your blogging friends too.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, thanks for the encouragement friend! Its hard to fully settle in right now because I keep hitting road blacks and set backs π
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine
What an exciting time in your life! I remember moving in to my first apartment for college like it was yesterday.. I certainly didn't feel sad at all. You're going to have so much fun! Enjoy it!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Well your own apartment is much better than dorm life freshman year! Haha π
Jennifer F
Good luck at school! My dorm room pretty much looked like that . . . .and I had one roommate. I remember the closet being an issue for the amount of clothes I brought (sheepish grin)
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha! My closet is perfect and I keep most of my clothes in the dresser anyway! I just wish I had a bit more open floor space!
Linz @ Itz Linz
have a great school year! i'm back at school too.... but as a teacher! haha
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you love!
Haha and you get the perk of going home everyday! π
Kristy @ Southern In Law
Oh, sweet girl, I just want to give you a ginormous hug! What an emotional time and it sounds like you've had quite a lot of hiccups along the way too!
I hope you've started to settle in a little more and feel more like you can make your own little home on campus - and I hope your roommates are great too! I'm praying for you and thinking of you and sending you huge virtual hugs! xoxo
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you so much sweetheart! I'm trying yo hang in there as best I can! XOXO
Angie Agerter
I think you are going to love it once you get settled a bit more!!
Your dorm looks so cute and I love the way you already have it set up.
I didn't live in a dorm my freshman year, I lived in a duplex off site with my then best friend. So I don't have any dorm life stories to share with you!
I can't wait to hear more of your journey in the next few months!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, thank you! I think I would still be a lot happier not having to live in a dorm π
I'm still just trying to get through this first week and have no idea how um going to make it any longer then that!
Farrah
Moving in can be rough! It'll take some adjusting, but things will get better! <3 Your dorm room looks super nice, and I love your drawer full of spices, haha. π
I actually chose my roommate (+ vice versa; we'd known each other since 6th grade), which was actually the case for my entire building. They were also suite-style rooms, so it made for an extremely antisocial building. Anyone and everyone I met from my building and became friends with, I actually met from clubs or other activities as opposed to from living in my dorm. I kinda wish we'd just lived in an apartment because it would've been infinitely cheaper, but oh well! :O
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha! My spice drawer is my little piece of comfort π
Really wow!? I lucked out with some nice room mates but we haven't seen each other much since we are all out all day at class and have such different scheduales!
Farrah
I didn't start learning to cook until I was out of the dorms, so that probably adds to my bias about dorm-livin'! Cooking added so much more awesomeness to my life! I'm so envious that you started on that way earlier than me. π
I'm glad your roommates are nice! :] The packed schedules and being busy definitely makes it hard! I lived with my 3 closest friends during my senior year and I was lucky if I'd see them twice a week. (That was mostly my own doing though in terms of scheduling and wanting to take every class in the world. π‘ )
Sharon
Oh my....what a first day of college. Of course, it is sure to get better and more fun. It takes awhile to adjust to living at college but after you do, it is one of the best parts of life. ....College Life! Enjoy!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Mmm, we will see about that π
Thanks love XOXO
Casey @ Casey the College Celiac
Girl, move in day is always sooo rough! Heck, I'm doing it for the second time now and I'm as equally unexcited as the first! Mostly for the unpacking and organizing part, but you get the idea. π Last year, I shared a small dorm room with one other random girl, but she ended up leaving halfway through the year so I was alone during second semester. Nice to have the space, but very lonely!
Keep your head up! It'll get better! At least it looks like you have a kitchen - I didn't for my freshman year! Sadness! Good luck with your classes and I can't wait to hear more!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Aw really! Well that is a plus and negative!
Thanks! So far the dining hall I'm using is okay. Food is the easy part....everything else is the problem now!
Kaylin @ Enticing Healthy Eating
Sending you thoughts and love for your first move-in to college and dorm experience! It was rough for me as well. And likewise, I had multiple Wi-fi problems at my dorms I stayed in the entire time on campus and had to have a few visits from the campus IT guys. I ended up using an ethernet cable as well. Anyways, just trust that things will work out and you WILL have the best years of your life. π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you so much sweetheart! I need all the encouragement right now!
Gaye @CalmHealthySexy
Hi Rebecca - Moving and those first few days and even weeks are hard. However, it gets better! Hang in there and just keep moving forward. You will meet people and it will start to get fun and interesting soon.
I cannot believe a big university like GW cannot put on a decent first-night event for freshman!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Gaye!
Yea! It was the first year they did this new event...but it was w total train wreak!
Brie @ Lean, Clean, & Brie
Wow you're dorm is so nice!! I am so jealous that you have a kitchen in your dorm! I always had to go to the cafeteria to eat and never got the chance to cook anything on my own. I hope your first few days are going well and the transition to college is going well, Rebecca! xoxo
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Well we just have a full fridge and microwave, but we have a full kitchen on our floor. That was the whole reason I had to be placed in that dorm, haha!
Thanks Brie! It is really hard and I have never been so tired, but I am just taking one day at a time.
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul
You got this! I hope you and your roommates become good friends!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Erin! My roommates are great!
Sandi Gaertner (@sandigtweets)
Your dorm room looks great! My oldest is still in middle school and it is so hard to believe she will be away at college some day too. I hope you post about gluten free at your college and how you handle things. My biggest worry is keeping my kids from getting glutened when they head off to school.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I'm still learning! Its a struggle and will always be when you have to trust others with some of your food!
Pure Grace Farms
I am sure you are going to do amazing this year in school. Look at all you have accomplished so far! Enjoy the time it will be gone before you know it.
Blessings,
Shari
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Shari π
Nicole
Ahh I hope you have a great first year! I am also so impressed by your dorm room looks fabulous!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, thank you! I am in the one of the newest dorms on campus so it is a really nice building! (The one perk to having food allergies!)
Nicole
Ha yes I found another perk around Christmas last year- being able to turn down fruitcake.
Amber
My goodness YOUR room/place lOOKS LIKE A PALACE compared to what I lived in my first two years, SERIOUSLY so nice! As for being homesick, I am sorry you are sad, I have been there, i cried so hard when my parents left, I couldn't even make it into the building with a straight face by myself. As soon as I walked by the RA desk and they asked "are you okay" there I stood, snot running down my face, sniffling, and sobbing, in the MIDDLE of the dorm common room sobbing and saying "I miss my mom and dad" Not the BEST look for me, actually earned myself the nickname the Crying Long Island girl, since I cried so many times the first month I was so homesick, BUT I MADE IT THROUGH, and made that place my second home, it will take some adjusting bUT YOU CAN DO IT <3 remember, I'm always an email away <3 xoxo
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Aw! Don't worry my emotions are so up and down. Crying, not crying, feeling sad, feeling okay. I am just trying to get through and see how these first few weeks ago. I am giving it a chance!
Thank you too! XOXO
Maureen
This is such a great experience for you! I never went to a 4-year college and totally wish I had, even if it was just for the experience of being on my on at that age. You'll do amazing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you so much love! Its definetly one crazy experience!
lindsay
enjoy college friend! disconnect and embrace it all! the good and the bad, takes adjusting but you will love!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Lots of adjusting! Thanks Lindsay π