Ah, my much belated birthday post.
Due to my tardiness, I think it shall end up a combination post. My 19th birthday was spent on the West Virginia trail…metaphorically. It was during the overnight part of my service learning trip. And though I had intended to keep everything on the down-low and focus on why I was in WV to begin with, somehow the others found out. It started with a sly, “Happy Birthday” that morning and ended with one of our trip leaders walking into the room where I was and asking, “What day is today? And is anything important happening today?” This last resulted in a round of the Happy Birthday Song and a chocolate cupcake with 19 written in chocolate sauce. It was quite sweet of them (though I actually forgot to eat the cupcake) and pleasantly unexpected as well. Now, hold on before you cry ungrateful! The reason I forgot to eat my cupcake is that I was busy hurrying painting a watercolor picture. It turned out as well as can be expected when I’m painting quasi-from memory.
My birthday Picture
To other matters, the return to Bryn Mawr has been fairly good. Classes have been as fun as they can be and I feel like there is tons to do–which for me is a pleasant experience. It’s funny, though. I don’t really feel like I go to Bryn Mawr. When I say this, I mean that first-year was the year of Gifts and Traditions. Every time I turned around someone was giving me something, and another Tradition was being described and partaken in. This year, because I was feeling somewhat curmudgeonly, I didn’t go to Parade Night and opted out of getting tickets to Lantern Night. I think I will go to the Step Sing though.
[Brief BMC trivia: Parade Night = 1st Tradition of the year, welcome for the first years that’s at the end of the first week of classes. Lantern Night= 2nd Tradition, when 1st years get their class colored lanterns. Step Sing = a time when all the classes gather, sing, and generally make merry.]
Anyway, it’s just been a really different experience from last year. People assume I know stuff, which I like, but at the same time no one organizes celebrate-you! nights for me either. That’s about it. I’m still trying to bring up my grades to Zubin-approved levels, working out where I’ll study abroad, and applying for externships. [More on these at a later post.]
