The World This Week

So... It's been a little while since my last post, and lots has been going on. (I know you've all been waiting on the edge of your seats, right?)
I finally made the much-anticipated, highly overhyped move to Starkville, and I adore my apartment. I would be hard-pressed to say what I love most about it. The back patio has taken an early lead, but I love my bedroom an awful lot, too... As I have told several of you in the past week, if you can't find me at any point over the next two years, I am probably sitting at my apartment reveling in how much I love the place.
Along with the new apartment, I have had several firsts. The activations of both the cable and the power/water were interesting experiences to say the least. I have also had my first grocery trip (which cost far more than I ever imagined, and undoubtedly I will not finish the jar of mayonnaise I bought until sometime in May). I've already had a number of friends come and hang out, and I look forward to the visits of others as football season gets started up.
I have loved being back in Starkville these past few days and falling in love with the place all over again, although I am seemingly seventy-five years old and know practically no one here anymore. (Another reason I am probably extra excited about football season.) I've had several low-key nights out, as well as a few crazy nights (shocking, I know.)
Yesterday, however, I started school, and everything changed. For all those people who say graduate school is not that hard and that's it not that different from undergrad, consider yourselves lucky. Today was my second day of classes, and I studied for 2 hours today. 2 hours!! After the second day of classes!! Even though I was caught a little offgaurd by the humongous workload I will be carrying this semester, I really could not be happier. I really think this is what I'm meant to do; I was absolutely enthralled through two of my classes, and I'm so excited about getting further into them.
I know, I know... I'm a geek to the core.
Let me pause while I push my glasses up on my nose.
Aside from the piling on of work, there was one other thing I experienced in my first two days of class for which I was totally unprepared. Seeing as I lived on campus all four years of my undergraduate career, yesterday was my first day ever to commute onto campus. Quite frankly, it sucked. Like, it REALLY sucked. While I endlessly circled around the parking lot with my eyes pealed for a parking place, I have never missed Walter and the Gray Route more. Not only was that a place where some of the most important social networking of my college career took place, but apparently it was also a four-wheeled gift from God.
All in all, the past week has been great. I could not be more excited to be back in Starkville, to be back with my precious friends who are here (though they may be few in number, they are some of my favorites), to be back at Mississippi State, to be in my fabulous apartment and to feel so great about what I'm beginning. I can't promise you won't occasionally hear me whining about how much reading I have to do... but I am going to try to keep it to a minimum, though.
I'm really going to try...
Really...