So quite a bit has changed in the last month. It was only about a month ago since I made my trek from the modest town of Holly Springs, Georgia all the way up to New Haven, Connecticut. For those of you that don't know, New Haven is a considerably large city. It is home to numerous very large companies and has a thriving economy...even if the city is going the way of the dodo bird (and by dodo bird I mean Detroit).
My life has literally turned upside down. I flew up to New York City, which by the way isn't anything like Atlanta. I don't know if it's just me being a naive southerner, but when I go to NYC I can feel the power of the city. You can sense it. Unfortunately Harlem isn't the kindest neighborhood in New York, and I definitely had to put on my thug face while walking through Harlem.
I kind of got screwed by the public transport system on my way up here and the bus broke down in the middle of Harlem, so I was forced to get off. This made my goal to catch the train on time darn near impossible. So I put on my big boy shoes and decided that nothing was keeping me from missing this train. I proceeded to straight out sprint three blocks in Harlem with two suitcases in hand so that I wouldn't miss my train. I got to the station with one minute before the train left, so I made an all-or-nothing mad dash to the platform and subsequently almost decked three very sassy women in the process. Right as the doors were closing I stuck my hand in the door then slid in the train. PHEW!
So I arrived to my new home in New Haven and then left for my orientation trip to the Berkshire mountains in Massachusetts. I had the time of my life, although the first night I swear I wanted to cry...I might have even shed a tear or two because I wasn't able to say goodnight to my best friend/partner for the first time in over a year. But I got through it, and ended up having an amazing time. The people on my trip truly are the most amazing people...and yes, it's true...famous people and rich people do go to Yale. As a middle-class southern white public schooler I am definitely in the minority. And the fact that I'm a born again Christian sets me apart even more.
But I have a great routine up here now, even if the NROTC program is kind of killing me slowly. It's such an amazing thing to know that three years from now I'll be leading sailors into battle or thundering into a war zone at mach 1.5 to ruin the terrorist's week. And I'm guaranteed a job after graduation, which is rare even at Yale.
So this campus truly is the most beautiful campus in America, and UGA is a close second. My roommate and I have vowed to never get used to this campus. Never to forget how blessed we are to be here.
One thing I have realized is sleep is definitely the most scarce resource up here. I do good to get 4 or 5 hours a night. I usually have consumed a 5 hour energy and multiple cups of coffee before 10 am. It really is NROTC that's pushing me to this, but it's all good...I just keep thinking of how worth it this will be once I commission and have the best job in the entire world.
While Yale is amazing, there are some things it lacks: there are no biscuits, no sausage gravy, no Chik-Fila, no sweet tea (I have to go to Popeyes for that), and no "good ole boys". I really do miss Dixie, but I suppose it's alright up here.
There has been a scandal going on lately called "poop gate," which is a reference to watergate. Basically, there has been somebody going around and pooping in people's clean clothes while they are in the dryers. It's disgusting. When it struck Silliman College (a residential college up here who refers to everything with the prefix "silli"...Silligym, Sillibrary, etc) they began to call the poopetrator the "Sillishitter", which is another amusing name. I just find it appalling and kind of amusing that something like this happens at Yale. Anyways, sorry for the super long post...I'll make the future ones much shorter and will include pictures! Thanks!
-Luke
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