Senior Year; part 1

After thirty two years, if I had to pick one year of my life where I experienced the most discovery of self - without a doubt it was my senior year of college. It was back in ’99-’00. I had spent the previous year adapting to some very big changes. My junior year was my first at The University of Iowa; Iowa City was new to me and much further away from home. I changed my field of study from Education to Art and instead of a dorm room; I lived in an apartment with two roommates. I definitely went through an adjustment period, and I’d say it took about a year.

This may sound silly but by the time my senior year rolled around I was adjusted to walking to and from class. Upon arrival to Iowa I immediately refused to drive my car or ride the bus to class. I had already been warned that driving was not a good idea because parking was a nightmare. In fact, parking was so scarce that many apartment complexes had to charge you a monthly fee for a parking spot. Rent your own parking spot? The idea was crazy to me. I didn’t ride the bus because: A. I’m just not a big fan of them and B. they seemed confusing and scary. So I walked and walked and walked, through the sun, rain, sleet, and snow. And when you have to walk over a large hill, it is uphill both ways. A brisk walk to the art building alone took about 20 - 25 minutes from my apartment at the end of South Johnston Street. Iowa is not like many campuses where the buildings are all clustered together so your only challenge is just getting to campus. Oh no. The campus is very spread out and by the end of an average day I had spent about two hours walking.

I was adjusted to a vegetarian diet. I have never really been a big fan of meat and living with two vegetarian roommates my junior year was just one more thing that swayed me. (I have since eaten meat again - although had a large aversion to meat when I was pregnant - but I go back and forth all the time about returning to a vegetarian diet.) People always ask how I ever found anything to eat, but I never had a problem finding non-meat items to fill me up and there were plenty of places in Iowa City serving delicious vegetarian meals.

I was adjusted to buying my own groceries, working part time, and paying bills (Although the real lesson of paying bills would come after graduation because it doesn’t really count when your parents are giving you a large portion of the money you pay the bills with. Wait…my parents helped me with my bills for awhile after graduation too. Crap. Never mind.) Of course some of the discovery of self comes about by realizing what is not for you and my junior year I tested out the world of working retail and found it to be among those things. Bath and Body Works may you and your over powering headache inducing aromas and round wooden apple picking baskets die in a fire.

I was fully adjusted to having divorced parents. Everything was finalized the spring of my sophomore year and by the time my junior year ended I had already muddled through feelings of loss; what it was like not to have a “home” anymore and sharing time between my parents. The second year was easier than the first; time was a huge part of the healing process. So by the time my senior year came, I was no longer sad about it all the time. About a year after the divorce my dad found a new love and Bev would become my stepmom in the fall of my senior year. I couldn’t have been happier that they found each other.

I was adjusted to being an adult. I survived my twenty first year, turning twenty two a week before my senior year began. At eighteen you might technically be an adult but everyone knows that twenty one is the real thing, with so much more to celebrate. We all know what that is! And can I mention that Iowa City is a great place to celebrate?

Lastly, I was adjusted to the fact that my summer camp days were over. I drove away from my fourth summer working at Twin Lakes Christian Center and I knew that I would not be returning for a fifth. Summer camp was one of the things I loved most and always proved to be a great experience. I looked forward to going every summer, so much that I would request to come early and spend a few weeks there working before the entire summer staff arrived. I knew it would not be possible for me to work there after graduation. I made many life long friendships and had so much fun spending my days lifeguarding and playing with kids at the lake. After four summers it was time to let go and leave it behind…well, at least most of it. That last summer, a significant boy followed me when I left.