It's my first day of school!

So, I realized last night that tomorrow is my first day of school--but furthermore, its the 1st time in 6 years (when I started at Smith) I've gotten to have a First Day of School! I have my new notebook, my favorite pens, a snazzy pencil case, a $120 textbook, and a serious case of butterflies in my stomach.

Go ahead and think back to your time in undergrad... when you, or a friend, took *gasp* a graduate level course. It was going to be SO hard. So very hard, in fact, that rumor was if your friend got a B- her dad in the bow tie and bike shorts wasn't even going to be upset! (Clearly, this is just a hypothetical friend...) Being here a mere 4 hours from my first class has my asking myself what have I done in the last 2 years to even slightly prepare me for this? The answer is all to obvious. Nothing at all. (Well, that is not entirely fair. I bet if you gave me 15 minutes on the phone we would end the call with your credit card number. If only they were still offering Telemarketing 703 this semester.)

I've learned great life skills, lived in a city on my own, met amazing people, had the time of my life in Boston, got closer yet to my sister, made friends I will always have and developed stronger friendships with the ones I'd already met at school. But, unless my professor asks us this afternoon to describe our perfect Saturday night in Harvard Square, or write down the recipe for their favorite blizzard food (nothing tastes better than macaroni and cheese when its too snowy to leave the apartment) I'm feeling a bit discouraged.

Butterflies aside, I AM excited. I definitely don't want to come across as being terrified and immobilized by my first day. I'm excited to jump in and learn new things and further my understanding of maternal and child health. I'm excited to prove to myself that I can handle epidemiology and biostatistics and the biological basis for disease. I'm excited to take on the challenge of a full time graduate student.

On a different note... For all of my northern friends and family--today is billed to be one of the nicest days in August with only 87degree weather AND humidity that is not expected to pass 60%. In fact, in similar weather yesterday, a native New Orleanian described it to be 'brisk' to my friend Jennifer. BRISK. We northerners might need to sit down and have a workshop on Weather and Adjectives. All are welcome. Please bring a pen and paper.