In-spired and ex-cited

Where do I start? So much has happened in the past few days that no matter how hard I try, this post will be endless. Therefore, similar to the Dining Hall on campus, I'll display a selection of the finest bits and pieces.

1) Orientation. A giant BBQ party, talks on self-esteem, alcohol abuse and eating disorders, a wild boat cruise in Boston Harbor with spectacular views of the skyline, Visa Info sessions (I thought America wasn't bureaucratic ... I was WRONG.), lunches with faculty and staff, Bingo organized by the Panhellenic Council (Kappa Kappa Gamma, Sigma Epsilon Chi and all those girls that wear big Greek letters on the front of their sweaters).

2) Freshmen. I sat next to five of them on the shuttle bus to Boston Harbor. Conversation topics ranged from pressing international issues ("What language do they speak in Austria?") to a genuine interest in my person ("You're 24!?!? Do you have an ID? Can you buy us alcohol??"). Their favorite and most frequently used four-letter word definitely began with F. By the time we left the bus, I had developed an almost maternal connection.

3) Food. I love burgers. I love pizza. I L-O-V-E chocolate chip cookies. It is a real act of self-discipline to squeeze in the occasional plate of salad and helping of fruit to avoid the infamous "freshman 15" (or exchange 15, in my case). Anyone care to bet that I will still fit into my jeans by the time I leave? If I do, you owe me a double bacon cheeseburger.

4) Classes. Definitely more challenging, but also a whole lot more interesting than anything I have taken back home. In Negotiations today, we were deep into our first negotiations exercise 5 minutes after entering the classroom. I sold a $15,000 piece of land for $19,500 and was really proud until I found out that the lowest anyone else went was $22,000. Dang. I have a lot to learn.

5) People. Smiles, waves and individuals with an incredible memory for names impress me every day. Coming from a country where it is almost rude to start a conversation with someone you don't know, it takes a little effort to get used to introducing myself to people I stand next to in the cafeteria line, but I am really enjoying it. Where else could you say that you've met about 60 people in your first 4 days?? Professors take you out for dinner ("The first one who sends me an e-mail can pick a nice restaurant downtown and take three friends."), peer mentors who stop by Target to get you a pillow and search friends' basements for blankets, bus drivers who recognize you 30 minutes later and still know where you were going ... that's America. Or at least the little part I am priviledged to know.

6) Wellesley. A main street with a convenience store, a hair and nail studio, a pizza place, a cafe, a wholefoods store, a gas station and a fire department, a twenty-minute walk from campus. (The mere fact that us Europeans walk resulted in surprised looks from car-crazy fellow students and friendly waves from a family watching us across their picket fence.) Also, Wellesley is a dry town - you cannot buy alcohol there, and if you really want a glass of wine with your pizza, you can bring your own bottle. Nice, huh?

7) Dorm rooms. I am amazed at the amount of furniture and gadgets people manage to stuff into their tiny dorm rooms. I've seen plasma TV screens, gigantic stereo systems, couches, queen sized beds, to say the least. Compared to the U-Haul trucks regular students arrived in, my two 70-pound suitcases suddenly seem ridiculously small.

As a friend told me today, welcome to America.

On a lighter note: Girls, how much time do you spend on your hair?

Orientation in graphics

Babson begins

I have arrived. A long flight, a stopover in Heathrow, and a two-hour wait at Immigration made it a little tough, but then I was warmly welcomed by Stew and Toshi the cat at their Boston home and spent the night on a comfortable futon bed.
On Saturday morning, my two big heavy suitcases and I embarked on yet another Odyssey to Babson College, which took me two hours instead of 45 minutes. I am now a proud resident of Putney Hall (or Putney "Hole" as I like to call it), a slightly run-down and dark dorm, but nevertheless a fun place to be. Wonderful Jen gave us a ride to the Mall today and counceled us through the seemingly endless variety of products (how on earth are you supposed to make a quick decision about laundry detergent when you've got 30 different types??), and now all I am missing is a warm blanket to get me through the surprisingly cold autumn nights.

I'm stuffed with bagels, burgers and brownies, I was called "honey" at least four times today by total strangers, I had sushi at the College President's house last night and watched students parade flags down the aisle of Staake Gymnasium today, accompanied by loud trumpet music. People wear flip flops in any weather, all the cool kids wear Babson apparel, and the size of the cars in the student parking lot exceeds that of any car in the entire country of Austria.
I am truly in America, and I love it.

There is so much more to say, but the jetlag and the prospect of another busy orientation day tomorrow are keeping me from going into detail. I'll be back with more, but for now, I leave you with images of the miraculous transformation of my dorm room.

My dorm room 5 minutes after my arrival

... and a few hours later.

The sky said goodbye

The sky on my last night at the Mill.

Oh yes, my life's a trip.

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller

The breathtaking, beautiful whirlwind that is my life continues. As I try to keep up with it, I have moved my webhome in favor of comments without passwords and free photo uploads.
Drop by and let me know how you are doing.