1. It will be a good way to keep up with my college experiences, which should really help me when I start applying for med school.
2. It should help keep my creative juices flowing when it comes to writing, which will come in handy with the 6 papers I'm going to have to write for my English class this semester.
3. People who want to keep up with what's going on in my life will be able to whenever they want.
So far here at UA I've been having a good time. My classes are pretty good. I'm taking Biology I along with the lab, English 101, Human Development 101, Calculus I, and the med school freshman learning community (FLC). Since classes have been going on for about a week now, I have a pretty good handle on how things work around here. My FLC is helping quite a bit because I have most of the same classes as the other students in there, so we can help each other out. I'm also really excited about it because it looks as though it's going to open some doors for me in the medical world here. My FLC professor has already said that any of her FLC students are allowed to shadow her in the University Medical Center whenever we can, and if we aren't really interested in geriatrics (her medical profession), she could set up a time for us to spend some time with a doctor in the field of medicine that we are most interested in. I'm very excited about probably being able to spend some time watching a few surgeries at some point during this semester. :)
You know, I thought that once I got here, I'd regret my decision to not join the marching band, but I have to say, I think I made the right choice for me at this time. I'm already insanely exhausted at the end of every day and couldn't imagine having to then drag myself out to band practice for an hour and a half in the heat. I'm not exactly sure how I did it for three years of high school in AL.
I'm very glad to say that I've already been able to find a church here in Tuscaloosa. When my dad came to go to orientation and such with me, we visited Vineyard Community Church. I had no idea that finding a church could be so easy, but it was. I've also successfully joined a small group and put my name down to volunteer in a few of their ministries. I truly believe that this church is the right place for me right now, and I've already met some amazing people there.
While everything seems to be going pretty well, not having me parents close by has really been something that I've been struggling with, especially since I'm such a homebody. I don't think that I really realised how much I relied on my parents for basically everything until they were no longer there by my side every step of the way. I think the hardest part is that I can't go home for a weekend just to get away because home for me is 3000 miles away from here, but, at least they're only a phone call or video chat away, and I'll be able to see them hopefully at Thanksgiving and definitely at Christmas. :)
Well, my homework is calling, so that's all for now folks!
Yours truly,
Stevie :)
P.S. Football season starts in 9 days!
Oh, and here are some pictures from the road trip I went on to get here. :)
Eating street food at the Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, CA.
The Grand Canyon!
It was seriously amazing to get to see it.
Words can't describe the feeling you get when you see this in person.
Our horseback riding plans were cancelled in Arizona, so we went to the Petrified Forest instead! Here's some petrified wood.
We did the 23 mile drive through the Petrified Forest. There were tons of mounds like this. This was one of the so calles teepees.
I thought the sky looked cool in the rear view mirror.
Emily got a pretty good picture of me at the Petrified Forest.
We saw camels on the side of the road in Texas!
We stopped for lunch at the Twisted Root Burger Co. in Dallas, TX. I had a buffalo burger. It was so good!
They interstate signs were painted on the road in Louisiana! Emily and I thought that was pretty cool.
There were mardi gras beads hanging from practically everything in the Garden District in New Orleans.
St. Charles Ave in New Orleans!
We found the Mississippi River while walking around New Orleans.
And, we finally made it to Alabama!
