I am making my usual walk to work today over the University Bridge and then onto the Burke Gilman Trail when I walk by Mercer Hall and Stevens Court. When I passed Mercer Hall I was noticing that today there were these bright eyed freshman moving in. It only made me think back to the time when I first moved in to McMahon 913 my freshman year with the help of my mother.
When I came from Minnesota I had no idea what to expect. I was disappointed that I was in McMahon, but that was only based on pictures of the other halls that I had seen online. I received a letter saying that my roommate was from Hawaii and there were just a lot of unknowns. Which bed was mine? Would Like my roommate? Would I like school? Will I be able to be 1800 miles away from home and survive? I mean, you hear all of the stories of how roommates don’t get along and things like that, but I think that I lucked out. He was a cool guy and we’re still friends today.
Looking back on my time in McMahon that year I realized that I made friends with all of those in the cluster and even some that were floormates. Well, of those that were there around more than 10 days the entire year (ala Bootycall). But, it is interesting to me that we all still get a long and we still hang out, go on vacation together, and just have a good time. I am fortunate that I had such a good experience. I know that there are some out there that don’t have this experience.
The one thing that I believe was good about living in McMahon was the whole cluster thing. I mean, you didn’t meet many people on the floor by default like you would in any other hall, but I made friendships that I will have for a long time. This was the case for me during my first two years while at UW. This is not to say that I didn’t meet any other people, but I saw these 8 other people every day.
After the end of my Sophomore year it was off to Nordheim Court and a different atmosphere. An apartment. I was lucky that Kony and I ended up there b/c we both got screwed by the collective fist of HFS. *shakes fist at HFS angerly* After that I quit the HFS job I applied for and got and I just don’t have much to say about HFS.
It was interesting living in Nordheim since we were with two people that we didn’t know prior to moving in. It was kind of like freshman year all over again, except that I at least knew one person that I was living with this time. The place never really felt like “our” place and it just seemed stale. It wasn’t a bad experience, I met some cool people over there and many of my friends were there too, so I again lucked out. It was just not the place that I wanted to spend more than one year.
Now I am in the condo with Kony and I can truly say that it is our place. Well, within the loosest sense of the word since it is my father’s place. But, I come home and I really feel home. That was never really the case in the past three years. I hope that this year is as good as the past three were and that whatever lies next for me will only make me happy. I know that is a tall order to fill, but I think that it is possible.
The above all struck me on my final 10 minutes walking to work today and I wonder what will happen to those freshman in three years. I’m not going to keep track of them or anything, but I just wonder if they know how it will turn out. I know I had no idea that I would be where I am today. I am in am in a major that I didn’t know existed, met people I thought I would never meet, and am doing better in school than I could have imagined.
Come Wednesday the last chapter in my college career opens up, ready to be written. I hope that it will be filled with the glimmer, hope, and excitement that I had when I was a freshman that first day walking into the double that was McMahon 913.