Just a Few Randoms

  

   

This is Erie.

Fireworks,
Pepper Spray,
Stun Guns,
....
and Sugar-Free Fudge.

The Lake – a little bit at a time

 

Just wanted to clear up that yes, you can see the lake from campus, but it’s not like I’m on the beach.

My campus is on a hill, with the Union and first year buildings at the bottom. The further you go up the hill – the more of the lake you see. Unfortunately I cannot see the lake from the bottom of the hill. Good thing I’m friends with Bekah, the Assistant Coordinator of the Apartments, so I can see the lake every now and then :)

The Apartments are on the left, sand volleyball courts in the middle, and Niagara Hall on the right – and a little further down the hill. The roof line under the arrow is part of the new dining hall. The dining hall burned down in March of this year. That’s a story for another day, but hopefully construction will be completed for Opening Weekend!

My Favorite Place on Campus

 

What could be over that ledge?

This is the Wintergreen Gorge. An amazing park/forest/mecca for outdoor enthusiasts located on our campus. These pictures don’t even show the magnitude of this landscape. You really have to see it in person.

 

 

 

Before and After Part 2

 

The tour continues with the study….

Study Before

 

 

 

….and after…

 

 

 

 

 

And my laundry closet, just because it makes me happy :)

Before and After

I know this has been a long time coming, (but so has internet in my apartment),however, I can finally post pictures of my apartment :)

Here is the first installment of befores and afters.

Enjoy!

Patio Before

Patio After

Destiny

I’m supposed to be here.

I believe in signs.

There is no arguing that Erie is meant for me.

My lucky number/softball number is 23. It’s also my mom’s birthday. The key code for my apartment is 23J.

I love the water, and as of right now, I love the snow. Both make me happy. What could be better than a Res Life job on a gorgeous lake with the promise of snow?

My birthday is January 30th. I am an Aquarius. I live on Aquarius Drive.

Being new I don’t know where anything is located. Everyone is very friendly here, so I knew I could ask anyone, but one has quickly become my go-to person. My first friend here, Sheryl has turned into my fairy Godmother. (Thanks for the reference, Meg). Sheryl is the manager of the University Store. When I bought my first Penn State shirt, I met her. She is from Baltimore. Sheryl used to teach in Baltimore City. Anytime I’ve had a question about anything, I go to her first. I needed to find a bank. I asked her. I needed to find Walmart. I asked her. Each time I walk by the store, we wave, and she says, “Have a nice day, Sweetie.”

And now the infamous Raccoon story. I have always felt a strong connection to raccoons. My grandmother lived in the mountains, so I grew up around them. I then associated raccoons with my grandmother and after she died, I knew if I ever got a tattoo it would be of a raccoon. It means home and family to me. I can’t explain it other than to say it offers me a source of comfort.

Here’s the punchline: Erie means raccoon.

Take a second to process that one.

 

 

 

 

Erie is named after the Iroquois Indians who once occupied the area. In their language, Erie means raccoon. When I first read that I started crying.

Is it a coincidence that I’m here? Fate?

It’s destiny.

I survived

I have been here for 10 days. In those 10 days, I have survived two tornados. Yes, you read that right. Summer storms here rival those in the midwest. The first tornado was when Mom was still here. Black sky, crazy winds, lightning like I’ve never heard before.

The second tornado was a few days after Mom left. I’ve heard the term “raining buckets” before, but I honestly think there was an army of men standing on my roof pouring buckets of water onto the ground.

 

This is Lake Blair.

 

 

 

What I learned this weekend about Erie

I bought my first Erie Times-News on Sunday. As a Journalism major in college, I have a strong interest in newspapers and television news. As dorky as it sounds, I was excited to pick up a paper to see what the news culture was in Erie, Pa.

I learned that there is a wild herd of voracious pigs that might soon affect local crops.

In the neighboring town, Conneaut (cone-E-aht) Lake, the Blue Streak Roller Coaster is in 15th place for the Pepsi Refresh Project. (Perhaps you’ve seen commercials for this program). Only the top 10 are funded. I missed my chance to vote.

The word search and crossword puzzles are in English and Spanish.

The political race is hot this year.

What did you learn this weekend?

Comment about comments

I will be publishing this blog as a book when my first year at Penn State is over. The blog-to-book program I am using allows me to include comments in the book as well. That being said, I would really like if you would leave comments here instead of on Facebook. Just click on the comment link after the post you wish to comment about. I would love to remember what you had to say!

Thanks!

I'm here

I made it.

I'm in Erie.

No internet til later this week, so here are a few pictures to hold you over :)

This is Perry Hall. One of the buildings I supervise.

This is Senat Hall, which I supervise and where I live.
This is my patio before landscaping. Left window is my bedroom, french doors are my living room, and right double windows are my study.

Pictures of my apartment will come later :)

Final Days

There’s no turning back now. I’m on the website and I haven’t even moved in yet.

On my to-do list this week included getting an oil change at Jiffy Lube. Let me tell you about my experience. I had to laugh.

I’m sitting in the waiting room. There are 7 chairs. There are 4 people. I was the last to arrive. You know it’s kind of a social norm to leave a seat between you and the next person? Apparently I was the only one that knew this.

In the strangest configuration, I wind up sitting next to a very tall, very muscular man. On my left is a girl about my age with a tattoo on her wrist and shorts 8 sizes too big. In front of me is a young male teenager with a stained undershirt and shorts just barely hanging onto his thighs. On the right is a punky kind of kid with gory tattoos of decapitated  people all over his legs.

The teenager in his undershirt who, stereotypically speaking, looked like he belonged in the city, was on his phone. I didn’t mean to be nosy, but in cramped quarters, I couldn’t help it. He was arguing with someone about how they got him a small mocha when he really asked for a large. A LARGE! He was so very angry.  Jenna, don’t judge a book by the cover.

Lesson learned.

The very tall man next to me asked me to save his seat while he went to get something he forgot in his car. I nodded. I think we both understood he didn’t want to sit next to the mocha guy. He returned with a belt. Not just any belt. He was a cop. He had a gun, taser, cuffs, pepper spray, and about 6 other things in those neat and tidy compartments. He wore it over his shoulder like a purse. The gun was almost in my armpit. Weird.

Oh and now the story of the tattoos. Tattoo girl was so excited to start a conversation with Tattoo boy in front of everyone. The were sitting as far away as they could get in that room, by the way.

Tattoo girl: Oh dude! I love your tats!

Tattoo boy: Thanks, yours are alright. Where do you get yours done?

Tattoo girl: Oh man, I have wings on my back! Wanna see? Without waiting for an objection, she pulls up the back of her shirt up to her neck in the middle of the waiting room and shows off her wings.

Tattoo boy: Oh cool. Where do you get them done?

Tattoo girl: My sister does them. She has her own needle. I’m getting my own kit next week. I think I’m going to start doing my own.

Tattoo boy: Clearly regretting speaking to her. Oh. Good Luck with that.

Meanwhile the cop and I were crawling in our skin, in a waiting room where the AC was broken and leather chiars may not have been the best choice.

He looked at me just as they called his name to pay for his car. He was definitely telling me to stay strong for another 15 minutes before my car was ready. I’m so angry he got out first. I felt like I was on a reality TV show.

I’m going to miss Baltimore.