I used to consider myself a pretty responsible person. I made to-do lists, I handed assignments in on time, my room was clean, I knew where everything was. Then I went to college. My dorm is still clean, and I haven’t missed any classes yet, knock on wood, but I’ve managed to lose quite a bit. To celebrate the two-week anniversary of move-in day, I made a mental list of all the items— physical and otherwise— that disappeared from my life. Below, I’m sharing a brief, but by no means complete version of said list. Let it be a warning, or else some light-hearted reading, to you all.
*Note: I recommend listening to Bastille’s “The Things We Lost in the Fire” while reading this for maximum effect.
1. My sunglasses
My Ray-Bans were the first casualty of my college experience. They vanished within my first two hours on campus, and it was a painful NSOP without them to block out the sun and/or hide my stress tears, I wish I was joking. Fortunately, my sunnies reappeared at the end of the week, just in time to help me through the first week of classes…
2. My yoga mat
Quick question: How does someone lose a yoga mat? I’m not quite sure, but somehow I did. After retracing my steps and checking the lost-and-found, it seems my trusty Jade yoga mat up and walked away. I’m pretty torn up about this loss, and am currently accepting condolence cards and flowers, Or, you know, my yoga mat, if you have it.
3. My campus I.D.
Okay, so my campus I.D. is not permanently lost, but just ask my roommate (hi, Claire!) and she’ll tell you that I misplace it at least five times a day. At this point I’m not worried as much about losing my I.D. as I am the negative health effects of the minor cardiac episodes I have every time I lose track of it.
4. My water bottle
In all honestly, I’m pretty proud that it took until my second week of school for me to finally lose my water bottle. In high school, I misplaced it at least once every few months, so the shoe was bound to drop eventually. I already have Amazon Prime shipping me a replacement by tomorrow because, well, #hydrateordie, folks.
5. (Some of) My self-consciousness
Unlike the above, the final addition to my list is a loss I’m actually pretty okay with. Whereas I used to choke up when saying hello to people, the last two weeks on campus have completely turned that part of my personality on its head. My favorite moments of the day include waving at familiar faces, or connecting with a stranger in the line for dinner or at a club event. Now that so much in my life has changed, it’s so liberating to at least feel grounded in my “Hi, my name is…” game.
Okay, now that I’ve ‘fessed up, it’s your turn: Have you lost anything in the first few days back at school? Upperclassmen, got any tips for how to stay organized in this crazy transition? Any and all advice welcome.
HCXO!