Technicolor Endeavors

Adventures of a Banana Slug: Week 1
I arrived at UC Santa Cruz on Thursday just fine, but with a few less then perfect conditions that I eventually got worked out. There was a problem with the dorm room phone- there is onlyy one designated phone jack in our room that connects to the phone line; however, when we went to plug it in, instead of a phone jack there was a gaping hole in the wall. We were without phone until yesterday when the maintenance guys came and fixed it. My cell phone gets no reception, but I did hear a rumor that there will soon be a new Verizon tower going up soon, so hopefully that won't be a problem for long. My internet use is limited as well due to the fact that I needed an ethernet cord and didn't have one; however I got one for a good price at the bookstore and now all is well. I have means of communication and now feel as if I'm almost back to living in the 21st century.

My roomate's name is Christine and I positively love her- she's very sweet and let's me tag along when she is hanging out with other people or leaving to go to the dining hall, and I've been able to meet other people through her. My dorm room is bigger then I thought it would be, which is a very plesant surprise. The people living with me on my floor are rather interesting- both in a good way and a bad way; on my right there are two lovesick boys who do nothing but talk to thier now long distance girlfriends on the phone. (Alex is, however, attempting ot branch out, and we've had a few brief conversations). The two boys to my left are Asians who both have a thing for Christine and who think they are black, and blast rap music from 10 in the morning to midnight.

Overall, I like the dorm building I've been given- the people are mostly nice and supportive of one another. They're also very laid back, which is something I'm not used to, but I'm really enjoying.

We've been kept busy the last few days through lots of activities meant to help us bond with and meet new people. They aren't as awful as I thought they would be, but it still isn't easy for someone as anti-social as I've become. I'm trying though- I'm really trying. Sunday night there was a "Slugfest" which was basically a big dance with a bunch of hardcore bumping and grinding in front of the bookstore. I danced a little, and saw a friend of mine that I've known since the days of grade school in the crowd, and ended up talking to her for a bit. Afterwards, I was getting bored (as I'd misplaced Christine when I left to talk to Bethany) so I called another friend of mine from a payphone, and ended up in his friend's room playing a geeky card game (Munchkin, anyone?) that was surprisingly fun and kept me giggling the entire time. Monday night, there was a 'drive in movie' on the upper lawn, which had a bunch of us sitting on fold-out chairs, watching 50 First Dates and shivering between sips of hot chocolate. Last night was interesting- They closed all of the dining halls at 1:00, so for dinner we all had to go to a fall festival and dinner which is sponsered by some organization called "OPERS" which told us about teams and clubs and other types of programs. After that, at 6:30, we loaded on the buses and make our way to the Boardwalk for the "Boardwalk Frolic". I should was fun, but also very cold.

Actually most things here are pretty cold. I'm not sure if that's because I'm used to not haveing seasons or because it's actually that cold, but there have been others saying the same thing, so I'm pretty sure it's not just me. I like the change though, as it's a nice change. It actually started sprinkling a few days ago, which was cool. I've missed the rain.

We've also been kept busy through lots of orientations, and it's starting to feel as if they're just telling us the same things over and over and over again, but it's nice to look around the classroom and see everyone else, know we're all in the same boat. Early yesterday I went to a department orientation specifically for people who were planning on being psychology majors. It was pretty interesting, and got me excited that I'm in psych. Classes should be cool, and they have great outside the classroom oppurtunities like field study and lab research.

The bathrooms are gross. I didn't expect them to be as dirty as they are, considering only girls are using it, but the water all over the floor and the hair all over the showers isn't in the least appealing.

I've gotten lost once, gone to the bookstore about four times, and (foolishly) left a lot of needed information at home. I've seen four people I know, and bought seven books for my three classes. My life has changed in a zillion different ways, but I'm finding comfort in the farmilure patterns of my freckles, pictures of my family, and the smell of David's shirt.

I love the energy here. There is so much life- in nature, in the people, in emotions and in imagination- especially imagination. Imagination that turns people's hair different colors and lengths, and that pierces their faces and draws pictures on their skin. People aren't afraid to be themselves, and you have to work harder then usual to stand out. I'm really enjoying myself, but I'm missing everyone all of the time. I've come to a simple conclusion as a result: I miss home, but I like it here.

This is definitly a great place.

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