Cliche

Things I am thankful for in no particular order:

silly people

anyone willing to be the big spoon

the cool spots hidden in the middle of the sheets

finding socks that match

enjoying socks that don't match

really good neck pops

backscratches

late night conversations

my laptop

Riana's little vacuum cleaner

old pictures

documentation of past events

the smell of laundry outside

proximity of good food

the fact that my dorm is close to a dryer vent and our cafeteria

affectionate nuzzles from my sister

comfortable sitting positions

finished to-do lists

mentors

mentees

mentos

momentos

moments

throw pillows

puppies

constellations

Jones soda

the fact that the Crusades are over

insect repellant

unexpected good grades

peace with unexpected bad grades

dermatological abnormalities

surprise packages in the mail

picture text messages

intranational travel

international travel

the way babies' stomachs poke out

q-tips

second chances

millionth chances

febreze

skype

flowers

second winds

the pain in the gut after a good laugh

all types of pie

good recipes

youtube

a'capella

cleanliness

dirtiness but only from dirt and mud

inchworms

music

silence

reminders

resolution

reunions

reciprocated hugs

well-fitting clothing

vocabulary

undershirts

Josiah, Julie, Jonathan, Angela, TJ, Mom, Dad, Pete, Anderson Cooper

grace

I am in college now.

Every now and then, it hits me as I walk down the sidewalk that runs next to the quad, with the leaves in full peak of color and a breeze blowing the weather vane that rests on top of one of the halls. I AM IN COLLEGE. ...what? Yes, college.

I passed a group of elementary students on a field trip to the Carlos Museum, eating lunch on this same quad about a month ago. They couldn't have been older than 8. One little girl pulled on her teacher's sleeve and, her pigtails swinging from the motion of craning her neck to look the woman in the eye, asked very matter-of-factly, "Will we get to go to school here soon?"

I thought back on times when I, too, was waiting what seemed like an eternity for this moment, and wonder how I managed to get this far without completely realizing it.

Self, I said to myself, remember this moment.

Do I?

Maybe...

I can't remember.

I am nearly 1/8 done with college. Then I have to go to the real world.

"Crap" I think to myself... "I'm still sleeping under Disney princess sheets."

There are 24 hours in a day. I spend 5-7 of them sleeping, on a good night. What do I do with the rest of my time? Where does it go? Homework, yes, class, yes, fun, yes, eating, yes- Okay, but in what proportion? I don't know, and I'm not even planning on taking a math class for my whole college career, so I couldn't tell you.

But then I realize, if I'm happy with my life but I can't remember exact moments that made me that way from a month ago...is that such a bad thing? (as a side note: Don't misunderstand me, please- it's not blackouts that are causing these memory lapses. The strongest thing you'll find in my solo cup is Sprite mixed with lemonade.) No, I think it's just that my life flows seamlessly, with the deep late-night conversations, the frisbee on the quad, the ridiculous chemistry tests, the hours of reading, the procrastination-induced cleaning, the brief trips home, the fleeting skype conversations, the silly dancing, the off-key singing, the rain boots, the racquetball, the impromptu jam sessions, the harried (and also the intentional) prayers, the piles of laundry, the cactus I need to be watering, the getting-used-to it takes with closing your blinds when you change, the midnight snacks, the love-hate relationship I have developed with my laptop, and the pages of notes hardly legible for the doodles running together in one harmonious blend.

Maybe this forgetfulness is a side effect of living in the moment. Who can say. But I don't care so much about pinpointing my life in monuments looking back on it. If I follow it as it goes, I don't miss a thing.