Looking back and forward

So right now I'm talking to Mary, one of my students from Fulton. She's in her 3rd day of college freshman orientation, and talking about roommates, campus maps and core classes, and when I remember the beginning of my freshman year, it seems like eons ago. I had the wrong class number for history 1 and ended up being 20 minutes late because I couldn't find Bowne Hall. James Mancino was the first person I met, at the marching band meeting at Crouse. And I overslept through my first midterm, in piano. Wow, so much has changed since then. But the best part is Mary sounds just like I did before college....

MryChrry5: AH hope! college orientation for the past 2 days!! i cant WAIT to go to COLLEGE!!! :-D
LIHopeSU04: yay college!
MryChrry5: YAY COLLEGEEEEEE!
MryChrry5: *squeal!*
LIHopeSU04: isn't it exciting
LIHopeSU04: college is the best thing in the whole entire world
MryChrry5: YES!!!!!!
MryChrry5: haha
MryChrry5: OMG HOPE!
LIHopeSU04: enjoy every second of it
LIHopeSU04: :-)
MryChrry5: i'm so fucking estatic, i'm jumping out of my damn skin!
MryChrry5: haha
MryChrry5: nooooo kidding!
LIHopeSU04: lol
LIHopeSU04: wow i'm so excited for you
LIHopeSU04: i wish i was a freshman again :-P
LIHopeSU04: have you made any friends at orientation
MryChrry5: YES!
MryChrry5: i met a male nursing major
LIHopeSU04: oooh good sign!
MryChrry5: and he's NOT gay
MryChrry5: he's so awesome!!!
LIHopeSU04: that's a good thing!
MryChrry5: and there were so many cool people
MryChrry5: and the OLs were amazing.,
LIHopeSU04: good, it seems like you'll fit in
MryChrry5: yeah i totally did.
LIHopeSU04: that's great
MryChrry5: i went swimming in the huge fountain hope
MryChrry5: anywhere else that would be so illegal
LIHopeSU04: i'm still friends with people i met at orientation
LIHopeSU04: lol
MryChrry5: but EC, it's quite normal
LIHopeSU04: a fountain?!?!?
MryChrry5: that's awesome!
MryChrry5: YEAH!
LIHopeSU04: hahaha
MryChrry5: a fountain!!!
MryChrry5: i did it today
LIHopeSU04: ::enter "friends" theme::
MryChrry5: i didnt really swim, but i waded through it
MryChrry5: omg! hahahaha
LIHopeSU04: nice
MryChrry5: it was quite the shit
MryChrry5: off the proverbial hook so to speak haha
MryChrry5: mmmmm collegee
LIHopeSU04: off the proverbial hook

I am so excited for her, and all my former Fulton bandies that are off to college. It's such an exciting time. I'm at an exciting point too, but mine is centered around a huge increase in responsibility and red tape, whereas hers is centered around an increase in parties and freedom.

But in no way am I upset. In August I'll be moving to Vermont, to start real life as a high school teacher, with my own apartment and a health care package and a 401K. Wow, I feel old right now. But this is the time I've been looking forward to, when I can use all those years of school and develop relationships with students who will be mine, not a host teacher's. My trumpet players, my flutists, my drummers. I can't wait. It's coming up really fast, and it's overwhelming...... but awesome.

And I'll have seniors that I can talk to about college (in a censored way), and encourage them to go off and live it up like I did.

:)