Being a transfer student or an out-of-state student is hard. It’s really hard to be both.
1. Seriously, I always miss home.
Dorothy and Glinda the Good Witch knew exactly what they were talking about when they said “there’s no place like home.” There’s no place like that which has the Baltimore Raven’s stadium, the National Aquarium and Inner Harbor.
2. I miss the food, too.
Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against any of the food here. It’s just that once the temperature surpasses 75 degrees, I want to have a cookout with Maryland Crabs from the Chesapeake Bay… And it’s really hard to get those overnight shipped to Orlando.
3. Bringing real clothes was a waste.
And by real clothes, I mean anything that can’t be worn in temperatures below 65 degrees. What even is winter?
4. I get either annoyed or excited when someone asks me about the Baltimore Ravens.
I get it… We had a pretty bad 2014-15 season. Get over it, because UCF had a worse season to be completely honest. Please don’t come talk to me with Joe Flacco trash talk; you will get a lot of sass back. If you want to see my Ray Lewis impression, discuss Justin Tucker or talk about the time I met a Raven’s player, let’s be friends.
5. I was honestly so sick of people asking me about the Baltimore Riots.
When I first transferred here last semester and everyone asked me where I’m from, they would always gasp with this combined look of shock and horror. That would usually be followed by questions such as “was it really that bad up there?” and “is it still like that?” I’m not saying you can’t ask, but please don’t think that’s the only experience I ever had in Baltimore. I spent 18 years there and lived a really good life.
6. I had never heard of “Grad Bash” until I came to Florida.
I honestly do wish I had an experience like grad bash. Unfortunately, we didn’t, even though Six Flags isn’t that far of a drive from Baltimore. We did have Senior Week in Ocean City, but I knew my mother was not going to be okay with me spending an entire week in Ocean City, Maryland without her.
7. All of the bugs here are absolutely terrifying.
No but seriously. I’m surprised that I’ve even slightly gotten used to them. Just don’t make me walk under any trees.
8. I have no idea where anything outside of the UCF/Oviedo area is.
I’m so unfamiliar with the Orlando area, it’s literally a joke. I have no clue at all how to get (almost) anywhere.
9. I feel so happy when I get to know people from anywhere remotely close to Baltimore.
Shout out to all the Knights from the DMV and Mid-Atlantic regions. You guys know at least half of my struggle. You know how real it can be.