Another semester will soon begin again, and the hectic chaos of school shall resume. For many schools, their students have already returned. Watching the view of Baltimore come into focus from the airplane window I thought to myself, "Wow this is my last semester at UMBC".
That is the last time I returned to this beautiful city for school, because next semester I will be at Purdue.
Getting back here was not as easy as last year though...
First off, I did not have a way home. Taking a taxi may seem easy, cheap, and stress-free to some, but to a Indiana country girl it was completely the opposite. I felt the same way I did taking the city bus for the first time, "Holy cow how do I do this?!" It's really not all that difficult, but new things can seem challenging.
Second, I lost my wallet over break. After freaking out about it for two days, I decided if it turns up great. If it doesn't turn up, it's only money. I may not have a lot of money, but I lost nothing that could not be replaced. Sadly, a lot of others did not agree with my sentiment. For the next few weeks I heard a lot of, "Did you ever find your wallet?" "Did you check your room for it?" "Have you looked everywhere for it?" "When did you lose it?"
At the end of every conversation I wondered, "Should I be more worried about this?"
Heck no! Worries plagued me enough from time to time. If I'm not worried, then really it is not a big deal.
Since all my cards were in my wallet, I couldn't get into my dorm building.The front side of my dorm has stairs going up into the lobby. No one was going to see or hear me from that side.Trudging up the stairs next to the dining hall with suitcase, carry-on, and backpack in hand was definitely a good workout. Luggage always seems to gain about 10 pounds after vacation. Luckily after I got to the other side of the building, the desk staffer let me in realizing I could not access the door myself.
Yay it's over! At least that's what I thought. "Rent me a key. I'll replace my campus IDs tomorrow, and we'll be all set!" Nope...the rental keys wouldn't work. My building decided old-fashioned metal keys were a thing of the past, and that electronic swipes was the way to go. Along with that, during break we have to swipe our card to get into the building. All year round, we have to swipe our card to access the hallways. Lastly, to get into my room I need my card too. So when the electronic system shuts down or someone loses their card, it makes all of our lives harder.
I really do miss my old key.
Lastly after waiting, I banged on my suitemate's door and didn't leave my building for the rest of the night. Delivery pizza and football definitely helped make up for the slightly difficult day. (Sadly, the Ravens lost, but I will always love them no matter what!)
I am proud to say that I am the owner of a new Campus ID and Residential ID. Though they cost a lot, I'm am glad to have all my cards replaced.
Life can be tedious sometimes, and it tends to either irritate me or put me out of my comfort zone. In the end though, it works out all right. With the big things or a small ones, I realize that life is much easier if I would just stop worrying so much. It never makes a difference, and it does not help anything.
