Caitlin’s Blog

As I walked back to my dorm today, carrying a hefty bag of textbooks in my arms and trying not to think about the fact that I would end up reading nearly every page of them over the next semester, I chose instead to focus on the beautiful weather we’ve been experiencing this past week. As a local Ithacan, I can attest to the fact that we get a total of about ten days a year like this, so it’s important to savor every one.
Days like this make it easy to forget all my freshman problems. Looking out over North Campus as I write this, watching the late afternoon sun stretch Risley’s shadow towards my perch under the arches of Balch, I can forget all the little frustrations that seem to have made up my day. I got up earlier than I needed to this morning, so after breakfast I crawled back into bed, planning to take a short nap before my 11:15 Arabic lecture. Predictably, I slept until about 11:30, which resulted in a flurry of cursing and trying to figure out whether I should bother going late or not at all, before I remembered that there was a later section that I could go to instead. At this point I decided to do some reading for Psych 101, while I had some time to kill, but of course this turned into checking my email, checking Facebook, chatting online, and making myself a thousand To Do lists, so by the time I made my second attempt to go to class, I was running late again, and still hadn’t gotten anything done.
I got lost in the construction zone in front of Rockefeller for about five minutes, so I was late to class, which meant everyone watched me come in, and I had to sit in the back because the 12:20 section is apparently over-filled. Oops.
My next set of issues arose when I ambitiously decided to do some laundry. After I sorted my dirty laundry pile into three loads, I piled two into a basket, grabbed my wallet and psych textbook (still determined to get some reading done), and set out for the laundry room. After a bit of wandering, I found the elevator down to the basement (probably the single most questionable piece of machinery I have ever used) and stumbled across the laundry room. After carrying all my laundry around for the last ten or so minutes, I was pretty ready to start a couple loads, buy a candy bar from the vending machine, and settle down to work. Unfortunately, I hadn’t anticipated how hard it would be to ’start a couple loads’. The detergent was easy to find, but it took a while to locate where I was supposed to swipe my ID card. I did find it eventually, but I regret to report that I have not managed to make it work yet. Somehow, the card reader kept telling me I have no funds available, although I know that isn’t true…but I guess that’s a challenge for another day. For now, I think I’ll post this, and then head to Louie’s Lunch Truck for a late lunch before I try to find a bus that will take me downtown to run a few errands. And I’ll try to keep enjoying this beautiful weather as long as it lasts, and let it put me in the right mindset to face tomorrow’s mundane challenges. I’ll think about the long walks I get to take in the sun everyday, not the blisters on my heels from my sandals; I’ll think about the free food I get to have tonight, not the emptiness of my wallet; all the new stuff I get to learn, instead of the hours of reading that each class requires; and the new people I’m meeting every day, not the friends I won’t see for the next few months. So far, I think I’m doing ok, despite the piles of reading and laundry waiting for me in my room.