My first night in Provo I couldn't sleep. I was so excited to be back, but I was also apprehensive. This year is filled with so many unknowns and so many firsts. Most of my friends from last year are gone on missions or living far enough away that I won't see them often. I didn't know my roommates before moving in, and I couldn't really predict what my schedule would be like. When I'd tell people I was going to take Mandarin, they'd say something like, "Wow, Mandarin's hard." As if that didn't add to my apprehension . . .
My roommates were very kind but I quickly learned that they were seldom home. I was glad to be left to myself to unpack, but that night, when my roommates didn't return until long after I'd gone to bed, I was a little sad. And the following morning, since I was still on Eastern Time, despite a restless night, I was up by 4:45.
Not wanting to wake the apartment, I laced up my running shoes and went for a jog. The stars were breath-taking. I could see all the constellations I'd learned about in my senior-year astronomy class--Andromeda, Orion, the Big Dipper--they were all there, and absolutely beautiful. You don't see stars like that in Georgia.
I wandered up to campus and felt as though I was joined to it. The rosy-tan humanities building with its large front window and beautiful courtyard looked exquisite, and it felt like home.
But later that day wen the stars were shunned by the bright noon-sun and campus was buzzing with freshman walking their schedules, and everyone else walking along with their groups of friends, I suddenly felt like everyone was part of something I wasn't. A crowd isn't company; the more crowded campus got, the more alone I felt.
I came home to an empty apartment, had a bowl of cold cereal and watched the clock. Again, I couldn't sleep. Again, my roommate came in late, and again, I left before she awoke.
I was thinking things couldn't get much worse, and, for once, I was right.
They got better. Much better.
I still don't see my roommates all that much so I feel like I still don't really know them, but my first impression was that they would be quite easy to get along with and, fortunately, that impression has failed to change upon closer acquaintance. They are seriously the kindest people.
And though they're hardly home, now that school has started, neither am I.
The other day, I left at 7:00 A.M. and came home at 10:30 P.M. After classes, I'd met up at the library with a girl from my Chinese class, Rachel, to practice a new dialogue and review the characters for our homework. Now let me back up just a little to tell you about Rachel. On the second night of school I prayed that I would find a friend. The next day in Chinese class, I sit next to Rachel, with dark brown hair died dark red and slate-blue eyes, jeans and a red Ninja-turtles t-shirt. She's taken Chinese in high school so she's good with the characters and pretty good with pronunciation, both of which I could use some help on. I, on the other hand, am told I am quite good at the tones--something Rachel struggles with. We were given a dialogue to practice and Rachel and I finished quickly and began adding on with the little Chinese we had learned.
By the end of it, Rachel turns to me and says, "I think we're going to be good friends."
Now fast forward to last night. We ended up studying for over three hours and honestly, it was a blast!
Rachel taught me to text in Mandarin, which is honestly quite hilarious, because, given our limited vocabulary, our text messages translate to something like this:
"Hi. How are you?"
"I'm good. How are you?"
"I'm good."
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
And somehow we get a kick out of this. Everything's cooler in Chinese characters.
Then we decide to go split a footlong sub because by now we haven't eaten in over five hours. The lady making our sandwiches asks, "Are you guys together?"
Rachel replies that we are.
"I meant the sandwich," the lady adds quickly. Uh-huh. Nice save.
We couldn't stop laughing.
Classes are going great. Honestly, I'm a little nervous about my class editing for the Prelaw Review Journal, but, all in all, things have gone better than I could have imagined.
Candidly,
Cookie
