Camp People

Everyone knows I'm a camp person. I live and breathe camp. It's mostly because I go to the best camp ever. Yes the physical camp itself is amazing with it's traditions, activities, and awesome location under a blanket of stars, but there is something else that keeps you coming back year after year. My camp is so intimate and small that you get to know everyone. The people keep bringing you back. Because camp people are the best people.

Nobody knows me better than the 22 girls that I had the pleasure of living with for eight summers. I could call any one of them right now and we could pick up right where we left off. I am so thankful for all of these girls making me who I am today.

The counselors are the ones who make the summer special for the kids. When I was a camper, I tried to get to know the staff and create friendships with them. I wanted to know why they wanted to be a camp counselor and if they're enjoying it. I have been in a poke war with my CIT summer counselor for the past four years and it's getting intense. I regularly stalk former camp counselors on social media just to see what they're up to. I loved getting to know a bunch of the staff members during my camper years. No matter what, camp people are the best people.

Being an actual staff member was different because I was on the other side of things. I absolutely loved being a camp counselor because I got to know so many cool people. The counselors that come to my camp are some of the greatest people in the world and I am so thankful that my childhood home has rubbed off so much magic on so many of them

Being a "camper counselor" changed the game because I had connections with many of the campers already but now I was the one in charge of them. The cabin that I was a counselor for last summer was one of my favorite cabins of girls when I was a camper and I was ecstatic that I got to hang out with them for seven weeks. Thank you girls for letting me do my job and "counsel" you while still being your friend.

When I was deciding where to go to college, camp people changed everything. My camp friends bring out the best of me and make me the most comfortable so having the option to go to a school that is filled with them was all I needed. They are a big reason that I chose to go to school in Michigan and I thank them for helping me pick and adapt to my new home. Everywhere I go I see someone who is part of the family and I love it.

There is such a tight bond between everyone who has ever went or worked at this camp because it is such an intimate place. It's not a big camp. And I am forever thankful for that.

(sorry for all the pictures...I don't know how to make them look better and I also couldn't decide which ones to not post)

Sorry

I know it's been a while since I last posted. The stress of the semester ending and finals has gotten me distracted and I had to take my priorities elsewhere. (academics...ew) Thankfully these past few weeks have got me thinking and I now have a bunch of new topics that I want to write about. I also have about three weeks of freedom ahead of me so prepare for me to be on your timeline a lot. 

Alrighty, I hope everyone has a fabulous night! I'm off to writing.

Being Jewish during the Holiday Season

First of all I'd like to thank society for referring to this time of year as "The Holiday Season". As if anyone cares about any other holiday besides Christmas during "the most wonderful time of the year." I'm going to be honest, Hanukkah is one of my least favorite Jewish holidays. Yes it's true that it always gets overshadowed by Christmas, but the thing is, it SHOULD get overshadowed by Christmas. Yay! The oil burned for eight days instead of one! I'm sorry but the birth of the person (or g-d, don't want to offend anyone) that basically a whole religion is centered around...kind of more important than oil burning.

Hanukkah is not the biggest and most important Jewish holiday on the calendar but it's still there. We still light the candles for eight days straight and say the prayer. We still bake latkes and spin the dreidel to celebrate the eight "crazy" nights. There is still some celebration!

The thing about the holiday times is that I am constantly asked what my opinion on Christmas is. I have plenty of Jewish friends who LOVE Christmas and that's great! Better to love another religions holiday than be against it. The fact of the matter is, I don't really have an opinion on Christmas. I don't love to watch all of the movies on Hallmark about the couples who fall in love once they kiss under mistletoe. I can name probably three reindeer off the top of my head and I'm not a big fan of the Christmas lights. Unless they are on a tree or set up in a magnificent wonderland, I don't see the hype about them.

I used to really enjoy Christmas music. My sister and I used to dance around with our American Girl dolls to every song that played on 93.9 Light FM. Now? I can do without it. I'm not in an any cheerier mood during this time of year. Some of my friends get confused that this time of year doesn't affect me.

My biggest problem is the gifts. Hanukkah is not meant to be a gift exchanging holiday. It only became that way because the little Jewish kids started to feel left out of the Christmas activities. And then viola! Parents now feel obligated to buy AT LEAST eight presents for each of their children. I stopped receiving presents when I was 11. And personally I'm okay with that. I get enough "presents" throughout the year. Like in August when my dad gave me $20 to go to red robin and liquid fusion. Thanks for the early Hanukkah present! It's completely unnecessary to give presents all eight days of Hanukkah. That is the only thing about the influence of Christmas on Hanukkah that urks me.

Being a Jew on Christmas is like being a Jew on any other day of the year. Unless Hanukkah happens to fall on the same day, like this year. (mark your calendar) It's like every other day of the year except we are imprisoned in our homes because anywhere we would want to go is closed. The only open places are movie theaters and Chinese restaurants. So yes, many Jewish people do the thing that is expected and spend their day in the movie theater and their nights feasting on egg rolls and sweet and sour chicken. But like I said, being a Jew on Christmas isn't special. It's just another day.

Honestly it's the build up that effects us the most. It's the red ribbons and wreaths. It's the jolliness and poor displays of twinkle lights around our neighborhoods. It's the constant Christmas music that plays in the common area of the High School. Just when you think you can escape, here's the place that you spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, throwing a ball of Christmas cheer at you while you're trying to do homework and eat lunch.

Christmas is great for the Jewish people because we don't have to worry about getting coal in our stocking. I can be as naughty or as nice as I want and NOTHING extra will happen on the 25th of December. Also, we knew Santa wasn't real for our whole life. Our parents never had to break our hearts with the bitter news that they were the ones who spent the money and became secret spies in order to get us the PERFECT gift. Never happened. Never will. They sure dodged that bullet. Seriously, Santa Claus? I just don't get it. But it's okay! I don't have to get it! As long as we respect it and stay in our place for this merry holiday, we're fine!

So, to recap:
-No Santa
-Chinese and Movies

Yeah that sounds good.

To end I'd like to say thank you to all of the stores that give Hanukkah a section of their Christmas aisle. We're a blue speck in a sea of red and green but at least we're there. So, on Christmas, you might not see the Jews. But trust me, we're there.

Adjusting to College

I knew adjusting to college life would be hard but it's more bizarre. Going from six classes a day to five classes a week wasn't as big as a transition as I thought it might've been. It's the same amount of work and I'm still at Starbucks every single day doing my homework.

The biggest challenges is the sleeping and eating. I tell this to my high school friends all the time . You will forget to eat. I have been up since 9:30am and it is now 5:00pm. I forgot to eat today so when I got to Starbucks I had a piece of coffee cake. That has been it today. I don't do it on purpose. I just forget!

Additionally, the sleeping is different.  When I'm not doing homework or eating, I'm sleeping. I have never slept so much in my entire life. But the thing is, I'm always tired. It's like as soon as I got to college I turned into an infant. I now have to sleep 11 hours a day in order to be aware and alert. And after that 11th hour, I am still tired. Literally it's so weird.

Another change has been the social change. I actually have to go out and hang out with actual people. Everyday I am very surprised at how much I socialize. In college, you have no choice. You are constantly surrounded by students and people. There is no escape like there was in high school. You can't just leave the building and instantly feel a sense of relief because you can get away from it for a bit. You can't go to your room and sit by yourself and not have any contact with anyone. Because in college, you are always at school. That's DIFFERENT! You aren't always in class but you are ALWAYS at school no matter what. There is no getting away from it for a bit. Also, you have a roommate or roommates OR A WHOLE GREEK HOUSE OF PEOPLE. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I love my roommate, my friends, and my sorority, but trying to get away from the constant socializing and sit in isolation for a second is VERY hard.

Something I have found helpful is being able to find a place on campus where I can sit in peace. For me, it's a bench in the botanical gardens. I don't tell anyone when I'm there and I decide to go spontaneously. I go sit, I think, and I reflect. That's my me time. Until it gets interrupted by the Kung Fu class that feels the need to practice there. I also don't know what I'm going to do when it snows but hey, we'll cross that road when we come to it.

My adjustment to college was about the little things. I didn't cry of homesickness, or wish I was home in my bed. I never agonized over the fact that all of my friends are spread out across the country. I have just been concerned with eating, sleeping, an socializing. All in all, I feel i have adapted to my new habitat well and look forward to future endeavors in the EL.

 

What can I getcha?

I want to be a bartender. Yes, I have other dreams like writing a book and traveling the world but, learning how to bartend has always been a goal of mine. When I was younger my dad used to challenge me to pour a bottled beer into a glass with minimum bubbles. It became something that I enjoyed doing. It's the little things right?
And you usually enjoy things you're good at. I was a natural. No bubbles rested around the rim.

Over the years I have gotten better at this god given talent of mine. I eventually got to the fun stuff. Opening bottles of alcohol in a cool and smooth way. I'm still working on it but sometimes I can pop a top off of a beer at lightning speed.

Anyway, like I said, I have always wanted to bartend. Bartenders make people happy. They supply people with an item that changes their mood. They are fun and give the gift of entertainment. There is always a wise bartender in every good movie. You know what I'm talking about. When the main character is in a rut and they think drinking their sorrows away is the best option. But then the hero of the story, the bartender, comes by and gives him life changing advice that makes the main character question everything about their decisions. Then the character throws back the final sip and thanks the tender for everything. BAM. LIFE CHANGING.

That's what I want to be. The wise bartender. But I also want to be the cool bartender. The one that the regulars always come in to see. Additionally, I want to be able to mix cool drinks and pour beers just right for all my friends when I'm older. Like when none of my twenty something friends know I can bartend and I just whip a bottle of vodka around like I'm one of those samurai chefs. Imagine how blown their minds will be. Jaws will drop.

People usually think that bartending is something you do when you can't find a job and have nothing else to do. I actually have no problem with being a bartender on the side while I do my other work. Business during the day, party at night. I think that bartenders are very admirable people. They have to deal with drunk idiots all the time and don't usually complain.

I don't even really like drinking so this is also a little ironic. SO NOW I MUST DO IT. And you bet your bottom dollar right when I turn 21 I'm signing up for bartending school.

But seriously whenever I have made a bucket list bartending has always been at the top of it. And then learning how to play the drums is right under it. I have no rhythm so that's going to be a difficult one. Then comes traveling the world and then my career. I know it's a funky order but it's something I have always wanted to do. How cool would it be to be a bartender in another country?? I'd be foreign AND the person supplying you alcohol. BONUS POINTS!

Right now I don't have a lot of talents. When I learn how to bartend and then maybe the drums, I'll be a woman of MANY talents. THAT is so exciting to me.

Lindsey; A woman of many talents
That'll be the title of my autobiography.

Anyway, thank you for reading my little spiel. It's something I've been thinking about a lot lately and just wanted to put it out there. Check out my bar in the future. I don't know where it'll be or what it'll be called but I will own a bar at some point in time. ;)

I don't want to be this intense but wow!
LOOK AT HOW COOL!

Halloweekend: Halloween at College

I don't know what I expected Halloween at college would be like but here's something new; I had a fun weekend. Me! Lindsey Rabinowitz. The girl who hates Halloween and hates being up past 10pm actually has a fun Halloweekend.

The festivities started Thursday night. A SCHOOL NIGHT!!! Spooky. Naturally, I dressed up as a hippie.

And I fucking killed it. We left the dorm and headed to PARTAY. Just kidding mom...not really. Anyway, apparently the party wasn't "lit" enough so we waited in the CVS for about an hour. First of all, I'm a freshman. I don't need the party to be "lit". I did nothing ever in high school so even a little bit of dancing while holding a red solo cup filled with just soda (alcohol is poison) was enough for me.  The waiting around wasn't ideal but in the end it was probably worth it. We got to the PARTAY and let me tell you, it was kinda "lit". It was a great night with great friends, great tunes, and some great photos. Thank you frat party for making my Thursday night not so boring. 

On Friday night we went to yet ANOTHER frat party. This day I decided to continue to keep it kosher and dressed as a Park Ranger.

This is the same night my friends and I developed a new game. Every time we saw someone dressed as Harley Quinn, we would punch each other. Super fun game right?!? Anyway, this frat party was a pain in my behind. First of all this whole "ratio" thing is ridiculous. Three girls for everyone one guy is rude. Girls like their options too. And I mean gee whiz too much estrogen in the room and all our cycles will match up. No boy wants that. So it was a pain in the ass to make our way through the crowd of sweaty, half dressed college students to get to the door. The guy let us in because "ratio". We were in there for about fifteen minutes and then the fire alarm went off.
"You guys like the cops? Get off the property!!" Nice kids.

The remainder of the night we just walked around and punched each other in the arm. Not the ideal second night of Halloweekend but it was still fun.

Saturday and Sunday night I decided to stay in. Too tired from the previous two days of PARTAYING. I mean Halloween wasn't until Monday. I need to study and clean and do other things. College Halloween is fun but it's also a lot of pressure because it's like a five day event. Five late nights, five different outfits. Like WHAT.

Monday night aka All Hollows Even and I had nothing to wear. Eventually, I decided to go to my roots and be a material girl.

It was perfect other than the fact that I was freezing but whatever. We went to like an annex house so like these frat boys who don't live in their frat house, live in this house. Once again, eh. I mean it was fine. I think I was just tired. I wanted to show my outfit off though so it all worked out. We were about to leave but we were just standing outside and I got bored so I decided to sit in the middle of the sidewalk. One of the boys said to my friends "make sure she's alright and stuff". I got up in an instant and thanked him for his concern but I  was 150% sober. I was just bored and wanted to sit down. Story of my life. People thinking I'm drunk when I'm not. It happens more often then it should. 

Halloween at college was kind of underwhelming. I liked dressing up everyday and seeing everyone's costumes but I guess I was expecting a little more hype. All in all, it was a pretty good Halloweekend. 

And I got to spend the whole holiday with the crew. :)

OH YEAH! There was the Michigan/Michigan State game too!!

What a weekend.

I'm 18 Years Old, But I Was Born In 1982

I have always been a little bit of an outsider when it came to "the norm". I was born in 1998 but my parents raised me like a 1982 teenager. When my friends were pumped that they went to see the Cheetah Girls and Hannah Montana, my first concert was Bruce Springsteen and The E Street band: The Rising Tour. A year after that, my second concert was Madonna. I was 10 and the drunk man sitting next to me kept playfully punching my arm and telling me how awesome my dad is while his other hand rested on his barbie doll girlfriends boob.

My mom had a big shrine for Bon Jovi in our computer room/office. She made collages of the pictures she took at their concerts and hung them all around. There was a calendar hanging on the wall. And a little miniature figurine of Jon Bon Jovi wearing a powder blue tank top and skinny jeans with a guitar slung over his shoulder and a firm grip on a white microphone stand. Oh yeah I remember every detail of that thing. It stared into my soul every time I went to print something. I almost forgot one more thing! In kindergarten I made my mom a pencil holder for her office. It was hand drawn all over with my first grade illustration skills and, more importantly, made out of love. A few weeks later I would find it covered with a picture of Bon Jovi taped over it. Thanks mom. I literally never let her forget this. Nowadays the shrine has been toned down a bit. There are still pictures hanging but my mom told me she was going to try and sell that godforsaken figurine. I cheered on the inside.

My dad has been a die hard Bruce the Boss fan since he was a teenager. He eased me into liking him by playing his music in the car and watching some of his concerts on DVD. My mom tried to get me to like Bon Jovi by basically shoving it down my throat and overexposure. Worked for my sister, but not for me. I like Bruce, his music is authentic. My favorite Bruce song to this day is Mary's Place off his Rising album. It's not a very popular one but my dad used to always play it when we were in the car together. 

Madonna quickly became my hero after discovering a DVD  in my basement of all her The Immaculate Collection music videos. Like I said before, I was ten. I would sit downstairs on the couch for hours watching her dance around with big jewelry and no clothes on. I would keep playing this DVD over and over again because Madonna has that kind of music that made you want to dance like crazy for hours and shake your booty. So that's what I did. I shook my 10 year old, non-existent booty all the way to her concert. That same year we had an assignment in school to do a biography. My peers picked heroes like Susan B. Anthony, George Washington, Mia Hamm, and Jane Goodall. Of course, I did Madonna. Our teacher hung up our work and I had the biggest poster board and my project took up most of the space on the wall. I had pictures of Madonna all over that thing. Pictures of her from music videos, with her children, or just posing.

I'd like to formally apologize to all the parents who had kids in my elementary school class. I now realize the picture of Madonna from her "Like A Virgin" music video and the one of her on the stripper pole during one of her concerts probably weren't the best choices to paste onto my project. Your kids couldn't look away even if they tried. The poster was just HUGE.

Anyone who knows me knows that John Hughes has shaped who I am today. Heck I wrote a college essay all about it. We used to have movie nights at my house and one Friday evening of 5th grade my parents decided that having their 5th and 8th grade daughters watch the Breakfast Club was a good idea. AND THEY WERE RIGHT. IT WAS A GREAT IDEA. High school was the furthest thing from my mind at the time but gee wiz did that movie make me think. I was literally 11 years old and had no idea what any references or anything meant but I still connected with it. I somehow knew that this movie was going to open new doors and new ways of thinking for me. And boy it did. It opened the door to my teen rom-com movie obsession and a changing mentality on life.

I can honestly say that if I had seen The Breakfast Club any later, my whole life would've been different. The eight years since then have been the perfect amount of time to study these other rom-com's perfectly and have allowed me the time to insert the lessons I've learned into my everyday life. Thanks mom and dad for showing me a R-rated movie before I was old enough to wear a training bra.

The point I am trying to make through these stories is I wasn't brought up in the same way as some of my peers. I was never shielded by the HORRORS of sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. (Drugs are scary so I don't like to mention them) I came out of the womb voguing. By the time I entered High School, I felt like I already had four years of experience. Well, more like 15 years of experience due to all the movies I watched.

My parents raised me and my sister in a way that I am forever thankful for. I hope to raise my kids the same way. (I told my mom that once and made her cry. hehe.) Anyway, it is hard sometimes when I sing a Pat Benatar song and nobody knows what I'm singing. Or when I make an Airplane! reference and nobody gets it. Like, surely you can't be serious. (GET IT??!!?) But I'm thankful that I was raised in 1982. I have found that by being exposed to these things early I developed a sense of maturity and values at a young age. I don't need to go ding dong ditching with my friends when I can just sit on their couch and talk to their moms about how much I love Anthony Michael Hall and how I was unimpressed by St. Elmo's Fire. I not only had a connection with the kids my age, but with older (loosely using the term older) generations. 

I think I can speak for my sister when I say that who were are today was greatly impacted by the popular culture of the 1980's. The music, the movies, the lingo, the clothes. All of it. I'm a kid of the 80's who was born at the end of the 90's and I wouldn't want it any other way.

-L
Here's a dance break from your boring day of work or school

It's Lindsey, Bitch

I'm back to blogposts. I love that I get to write for the Odyssey but I miss writing my own thoughts and opinions on my blog. I also get to release them whenever I want which is also fun. So here I am just telling you that I will keep posting here and on my Odyssey page. Double the fun! Double the me!!
Hope all is well with everyone. :)

WOOT WOOT.

The Guy Friends

So far it's been very hard to make guy friends in college. Mostly because during rush you can't go out and there are no boys on my floor. So like i said, very hard. It makes me appreciate all my best guy friends throughout the years.

I've always been someone with a lot of guy friends. It's nice to get away from all the estrogen sometimes. Taking random drives to get ice cream or slurpees is also a plus. It's important to have guy friends in your life because they give you a different perspective on situations. Who would have thought that a male's mind is different than a female's mind?!? Whoa.

Anyway, moving on. I'd like to give appreciation to the boys that have set quite high expectations for any of my future guy friends.

My TAF(you know who you are). Him and I facetimed for about an hour the other night ad for 40 minutes of it we couldn't hear one another. Even when I left to go to the bathroom he stayed on until I got back. I'm his biggest fan and he knows it. Thank you for all the nights driving around and doing carpool karaoke to One Direction songs. I legitimately didn't know what I was going do without talking to him everyday but the constant snapchats and text messages have made it easier.

The BFF/Prom Date. I know you hate me but I appreciate your friendship. I am also sorry I got you in a car accident and you have permission to throw it in my face whenever you want. Thanks for being there when I need a laugh or someone to talk to. You're the bomb and I miss you.

Then there's the neighborhood best friend. :) Hope you're enjoying yourself in my dream home. Also, any future male friends have some big shoes to fill. I miss you a lot and I thank you for staying my friend and only a 2 minute walk away. Also, I appreciate that fact that even if I don't tell you I'm coming over, your family always answers the door and lets me in. It's nice. I don't know what I'm going to do in the future when you're never a few steps away from me. This is good practice until then. I guess flying to Boulder won't be too bad.

The best guy friends are the ones that have been around forever. The ones who met you when you were a little girl. The ones who stuck with you throughout your awkward teen years and have your back forever and always.

I'm talking about the ones who move far away from you to Texas and California. (just examples :P) I'd have to make some pretty damn good guy friends here in order to have my "college twins". It's no secret how much these two boys mean to me. I could spend hours and hours with them and never get bored. They are some of the most genuinely kind people I know and they'll be so successful with everything they do.

All in all, guy friends are the greatest. They have your back and make you laugh when you need it. They're always there to add something a little different to the conversation. I recently tweeted that I need more male college friends. Seriously. I miss all my guy friends and need people to fill there spots until I get to see them again. :( Not replacements. Just spot fillers or maybe additions to my appreciations..?  You never know.

Thank you to all of the guy best friends who have shaped my life. Now where are these "lifelong" college guy friends everyone is always talking about?!?!

The Rush Process

Hold onto your hats everyone. This is going to be a long and wild ride.

I went into the recruitment process with an open mind and a positive attitude. Rush is a draining and highly emotional rollercoaster so being negative wasn't going to help the situation. After visiting all the houses I didn't know how to choose which ones I liked. They were all so nice and similar. But I had to choose 10 so I did. The next day, (Sunday) I received my schedule and was a bit disappointed. The three houses that I thought I had great conversations with didn't ask me back for the second round. Like I said, it sucks. But, it's not worth sulking over because there were seven other houses that thought I could be one of their sisters.

If anything, I want to thank the houses that "dropped" me. I appreciate it because they know better than me if I would fit in their house and I don't want to end up with a group of girls that I can't relate to. Also, the phrase "dropped" is ridiculous. It doesn't even make sense. I wasn't dropped. I simply was not selected to come back to the house. Which, like I said, is a blessing in disguise.

I had a great second round. All seven houses were awesome and I was so happy to have been asked back to them. At the end of the day I had to pick my top six, and I did. I wouldn't get my schedule for next round until the following Saturday so the next couple of days I could do nothing but wait.

My sister was a rho gamma throughout the recruitment process. This means that during rush she was unaffiliated with her chapter and was there to make the lives of those going through recruitment easier.

A few days after round 2, my sister got a call on her way to class. The recruitment chair of her sorority told her that I would not be asked back to their house for the third round even though I was considered a legacy in the house. The rest of the day my sister cried her eyes out trying to figure out how to tell me. She came to my dorm and dropped the news. I was not going to be her sorority sister.

Obviously that fucking sucks. We both cried for a bit but eventually it just ended with me being furious. I want you to try and put yourself in both of our positions. My sister, a loyal member to her house, was put in the position where she had to tell her own sister that she will not be asked back to the sorority that she has dedicated her last three years to. And then there's my end. I have to live with the fact that, even though I'm a legacy, that house didn't want me. I have to explain it to all my friends that although my own bloodline is in the house, I wasn't asked back for the next round. Honestly it's the most shitty feeling I have ever felt in my entire life and I cannot believe that anyone could have the heart to put me and my sister through what they have put us through. The embarrassment and hurt that I am feeling is enormous.

But thinking about it, I'm happy that I'm not in that house. I'm glad that I found out now what kind of people are now inhabiting that chapter instead of figuring it out next year when this situation happens to someone else. I am also incredibly furious at the entire situation mostly because of the principle of it but like I said, there's no point of getting too upset. This could be one of the only situations where I'm actually mad and NOT disappointed.

I don't want to be a part of a group that have such a huge lack of respect for their fellow sisters. I wish you all the best of luck with trying to keep your house together. I'll be over here having fun with sisters who actually appreciate me and building whichever house I am in, to the top.

In the third round I was asked back to two houses. I already knew which one I was going to be in. One of the houses I couldn't see myself in and the other one already felt like home. (and I was already close friends with a lot of the girls through other activities) It was a little discouraging at first considering the round before I had 7 houses which meant that 5 dropped me. But hey, stay positive. Trust the process.

On preference day I went back to those same two houses. The rituals were sweet and meaningful. The first house, once again, I couldn't see myself in. The girls are so nice and amazing but it didn't feel like the place for me. I went to the second house and saw some of my friends on the lawn. They were in the same group as me for this house. I stood next to one of my best friends in line and shuffled on in. The girl rushing me is one of the best friends of my friend in the house. She took me in her room and we talked. Literally, we just talked. There was no pressure and I wasn't uncomfortable. We were talking like two friends who were meeting for coffee.

When it was time for the preference ceremony, we walked down to the basement. I got to see the beautiful house and felt the homey feeling I was waiting for. But, what really got me was what was in the basement. On each of the white chairs, laid a single yellow rose. I started freaking out. Yellow roses are my thing. Ask any of my friends and family. The girl that was rushing me was like yeah it's our symbol and I'm like I don't think you understand. I have a tattoo of a rose and if I was going to color it, it would be yellow. It's my thing. So, OBVIOUSLY, it's a sign. The symbol of this sorority was a single yellow rose and THAT'S what did it. That pushed me over the edge.

When we left, we took a petal off the rose and made a wish in the fountain. As we were leaving, the active I was paired with said she "hopes my wish was the same as hers." This house wanted me. And I wanted to be in that house.

I called my sister and told her I was freaking out and about the yellow rose. She responds by saying, "LIN". She knew it too. It was meant to be. Tears started forming in her eyes as I was talking to her and honestly, they were in my eyes too. After the heartache, I found my home. All I had to do is submit that house on my preference form and hope they write me a bid.

Monday, September 19th: Bid Day. I suicide rushed that one house. I didn't get a call at any point that day, so I knew I was in. The house I loved wanted me back, and wanted me as their sister and I was over the moon with happiness.

What I have learned is screw the haters. People won't like you and that's okay because eventually you'll find your place. Also, don't let people push you or your family around. Yeah I'm still bitter about what that house put me and my sister through and the house will forever have a bad stigma in my eyes but also thanks for not letting me in your house. Like I said, I don't want to be with people who treat their members and their siblings like that.

Thank you to the 13 houses who didn't ask me back. If it weren't for all of you, I wouldn't have found my new home.

I'm happy to be a Sig Delt.

Appreciation Post: The Best Friends

There are some people that you just know are going to be in your life forever. College is difficult because you're basically moving away from everything you know and love and living in a new place all by yourself. Luckily, some of the life long friends that I have made over the past 18 years living in suburban Chicago have stuck with me throughout my experience so far. None of my home best friends go to school anywhere near me but I know that they're always a text away.

I have one friend who is my pick me up. I met her freshman year of high school and ever since then she's been like my twin. Whenever I'm in a bad mood, she's the one I call. She sends me a text everyday of positive quotes and they always put a smile on my face. I know she'll always be there cheering for me when things go well and sending me a bouquet of yellow roses if things don't go my way.

Things have been a bit difficult for me and my oldest best friend over the past couple of months. She goes to school in Arizona and she actually moved there in June. I was at camp when she moved so I wouldn't have gotten to spend the summer with her anyway. I think about when I come home for holidays and that she won't always be there. That's the biggest change for me. It's not moving away from home, or living on my own, it's that my best friend will no longer be a short car ride away. The good thing is that we have modern technology. Our constant snapchats, facetimes, and texts make it feel like I'm with her. I already booked my plane ticket for spring break and I cannot wait to be back with my girl.

It's nice to be able to facetime my friends whenever I want. Whether they're in class, in a hammock, laying in bed, or hanging out with friends, they're always there for a quick chat and catch up. I'm very thankful for the amazing friends that I made the past 18 years and I'm excited to introduce them to the friends I make in the next four. I appreciate all the things that my best friends have done for me and I cannot wait until I get to give them big hugs. :)