Late Bloomer

This is my third attempt at an opening paragraph, and I haven’t convinced myself to delete, (yet). The creative wheels in my head are far from turning at 8:42am on this Saturday morning where I am waking up to rain for the fifth day in a row. My coffee is too annoyingly weak to keep up with my 23 year old, sleep deprived, fighting-a-head-cold, body. But I digress. Last Friday was the official end of my first semester as a full-time college student. I was feeling all the feels and soaking up my last few days with my friends before the cruelness of summer break stole them from me. I was already mourning the routine I would lose: Saxby’s coffee in the morning, naps at my friends dorm in between classes, Cocina Mexicana on Tuesday's and Roburrito’s on Wednesday’s. I was reminded of a conversation I had with my dad about how proud and happy I was, but that it sucked that I was 23 and my friends would be graduating. Also, that it was a tad embarrassing that it took me so long to hit this exploratory phase of my life. However, he didn’t see it negatively. He just smiled and said, “It’s ok, Sis, you’re just a late bloomer.”

So I wrote this opening paragraph (for the third time) on May 18th and haven't touched my blog since. I couldn't figure out how to expand on this topic, nor did I even want to. However, in the past two months I've allowed myself to enjoy new experiences I would've otherwise avoided. Keep scrolling to find out why I have been non-existent since April 22nd.

May 7th-11th: Finals Week

Bum, bum, bum. My first official finals week as a full time, on-campus, student. Not going to lie, the "Student Problems" meme page on Insta gave me preconceived notions that this would be the worst week of my life. When in reality, the worst part about it was seeing my friends pack up their dorm rooms for the summer. *all the sad faces*

May 8th:

My 23rd birthday. Still trying to figure out how that happened. Also, I treated myself to a balayage blonde hairstyle and a Sociology final.

May 11th-13th: Washington D.C

My best friend and I had planned a trip to D.C a month prior and where super stoked to finally be going. We stayed in the cutest (and incredibly reasonably priced) Airbnb in Capitol Hill. Saturday was our only full day there so we made sure it was packed full of memorable events. We spent the morning at the Holocaust Museum. The fact that in our Capitol we have an abundance of free museum's that are made available for us to empathize and learn from is something everyone needs to take advantage of. On a less serious note, we spent the evening in Georgetown. We took a sunset cruise on a small party boat down the Potomac. If you know me, you know boats aren't my thing (or really any sort of transportation that isn't a car). But oh my gosh that was so much fun that I want to do everything on a boat. Choose freedom over fear, y'all.

May 14th: Move to my temporary apartment

So when I got back from D.C I had made plans to move to campus on "off-campus" housing until June when my friend's lease expired. I didn't have wi-fi or TV for two weeks and blew through my data plan, but overall the experience was so great that I decided to do it again. (Keep reading).

May 16th: Brandywine Art Museum (and then to Baltimore)

Even if you don't have an appreciation for art, you are still going to want to check this place out. Especially if you have a college ID, because admission is only $6.00. Also, when you're down there skip the overpriced, overrated, white girl brunch at Terrain and do it up at La Pena Mexicana in Kennet Square. And if you're feeling ambitious you can do what we did and drive to center city Baltimore later that same day, get caught in the rain, take your shoes off, and catch a cold. (The same cold I had when writing this opening paragraph).

May 19th-20th: Pittsburgh and Lake Erie

I left for Pitt around 6pm on Friday night with no place to stay. My friend and I thought we'd figure it out when we got there. 3 and half hours in to the 4 hour drive we still had not figured it out. Thank God for my cousin though who generously lent us his living room next to his plants and turtle. What a guy. From there, we drove 2 and half hours north to Lake Erie, stayed for about an hour, and made another 6 hour drive home. Why? Because we had the time.

May 25th-30th: Memorial Day at OCMD

This trip was intended to be two nights three days. Instead, it became four nights, five days. Again, because we had the time. For the first time, I stayed bayside, drove stick, and rode on the public bus. What a time to be alive, right?

June 1st: Move-out, move back-in

So at this point I moved out of the other apartment and am now in a neighborhood that us Millersville Students have deemed as, "Cartledge." I'm crashing here for the summer and am enjoying the newness of having roommates. It is actually super convenient because I hardly have to make plans with my friends anymore, they all live here.

June 7th: Rocks State Park

On this random Thursday after work, my friend and I drove down to Hartford County, MD to Rocks State Park. We hiked a few impressive rock formations and I was able to check "swim in a waterfall" off my 20 before 25 list.

June 18th: "Kayak" down the Conestoga

So this kayak was basically an inflatable mattress. But it got us down the river with no issues. However, much to my displeasure, I do not have a sun tan as proof. :(

I like the term late bloomer. I always lived by the phrase, “bloom where you’re planted.” Right now, I am a 23 year old that is halfway through my sophomore year. I can either choose to bloom here, or sigh in embarrassment. I think if I had chosen the latter I would not have been spontaneous enough to just drive four hours without anywhere to stay. Had I chosen the latter I may not have been brave enough to get on a boat; and let myself love it. I don't think I would have taken the opportunity to move-out. I especially know that if I had chosen the latter, I would not have had the drive to make Dean's List and maintain a 4.0 in my major. So cheers to the rest of my undergrad career. May we all choose to bloom where we're planted.