There Were Costumes Involved

   So, we had freshman orientation on Monday, all bright and early at eight am. And honestly it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Even though I try to 'radiate positive vibes' (your welcome, Aly), all of summer I've been ranting about freshman year majorly sucking. I mean, who wants to be treated like a little sixth grader again? Just when I've gotten used to the humdrum that is junior high we all get dropped into an even BIGGER campus. With sophomores, and juniors, and *GASP* seniors, whom already know the flow of student life, and whom are extremely aware of their own superiority over us measly freshman. As I've told anyone who asks, all I want to do is go back to preschool so I can color all day and eat great animal-shaped snacks (but seriously animal crackers are my fave).
  Though, as some wise adult told me the other month (I totally forgot who it was, but thank you!), the emotions fear and excitement are basically the same. When we are scared, we get jittery, and our heartbeats accelerate. As when we are excited, we get jittery, and our heartbeats accelerate. The same feelings run through our systems. So, this smart owl told me, if you are feeling afraid, just shrug it off and tell yourself that it is really excitement.
    And I am not a hypocrite about most things (I'll tell you my ear piercing story later), so Sunday night I was dreading the day going by and leading to the next, where orientation waited for me, laughing tauntingly. But I told myself, and everyone else who would listen, that I was excited, instead of nervous and fearful.
   True, orientation had its... well.... awkward moments. While on our campus tour, each group donned costumes. We were web browsers, with the logos of popular websites painted on cardboard dangling from our necks. But at least we didn't have to put on yellow shirts with stuffing and be Despicable Me minions. And at least we didn't have to accessorize with masks and latex gloves and be Jabbawokeez (ask Aly haha).
   And like the storybook ending this lesson needs, by the end of the day, I was actually flipping EXCITED for high school. Fake it until you make it, my friends.

Until next time, Claire.