i’m sure we’ve all heard, “life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get,” at least a dozen times before. if this were true, mine would have been 14 smushed cherry ones, followed by 2 perfect fudge-filled truffles, each representing a year of my life. life, however, is not like a box of chocolates; to me, it’s like literature, and these past few days have been the first few chapters of my new book.
chapter one: begins with a blurry mess of paperwork, masks, boxes, and… tackling. yes, you heard me right, tackling. i checked into the first floor of my new home, then made the rounds of paperwork and picture taking as i moved in. my mom and papaw drove me to walmart to buy groceries, then stocked my fridge and cabinets when we came back. they left, and it was officially my first day on my own.
i called my roommate to gush about her kindness and style, when i was interrupted by another phone call – this time, from my internet best friend, who has earned the nickname “xanny.” he yelled at me saying he was outside, so i grabbed my keys, badge, and mask, before scaling 4 flights of stairs in a matter of 45 seconds – impressive record for someone who only takes the stairs when absolutely necessary.
chapter two: the moment i ran outside and Xanny ran to jump on me, our first time meeting in person. we caught up for about three minutes, where i talked to his mom and other family, and helped him get a few things unpacked.
chapter three: the rest of move-in day, some parts i can remember, some i can’t, but all of it was bright and refreshing to experience.
chapter four: the days after move-in day, before departure from my new home. We went to fox’s for pizza, ordered pizza hut, made a dg run… twice, and all spent time together in common areas around campus. We went to a candlelight dinner, and i would be lying if i said the majority of it wasn’t spent crying happy tears, staring at nature and all of the school buildings. it may be a little rundown town in the middle of nowhere, but if it means something to us, then you can’t help but see the beauty of it.
chapter five: the day nyk, mac, and i walked around to a coffee and ice cream shop, and the night i sat outside cooper hall, bonding with bear, nyk, mac, and emma, connecting on deeper levels than ever before. we talked about life, love, and family, and how the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb, which really just means that we’re family now, and that’s all that matters. we love each other and their company, and we have each other’s backs no matter what.
chapter six: goodbye, but only for now.
there’s nothing heartbreaking about a new book – it means the series isn’t over yet.
I’m so happy that your first week went so well! I can’t wait to meet you soon!
I enjoyed reading about your experiences quite a bit. I found the box of chocolates metaphor interesting, and I compare my life to a novel as well. This brought back a lot of memories for me that I appreciated. Lovely wording and narrative detail—I was not bored one bit. I hope your future chapters also elicit “the good vibes”. I can not wait to hear more about your journey at this unique school. Welcome to the literary blog!