The College Experience

I had to leave for college in less than twenty-four hours and to say I was terrified would be putting it mildly. My parents had tried to talk me out of going so far from home and I was wishing I had listened at this point. I could have chosen any college in the world because according to my parents I was a genius, but I chose the University of California near Los Angeles. It seemed like the best fit at the time but now I wasn't so sure. Growing up in the hills of Wyoming I was cut off from the world. My parents always said they moved us to the sticks so that we wouldn't be affected by the crime in the city but if you wanted my opinion they were scared of people. Me personally, I was terrified of people. I had never been around very many other than my family. We lived three hours from the closest town and only went once a month. It was a small town with one stop sign in the middle so never much to see. I had nothing for entertainment but books that my mother handpicked me from the library. I had asked many times for a radio or television set, but my parents acted like they didn't have the money. When it came to friends it was me and the animals. To say I was sheltered was an understatement, but I didn't realize that yet. There were a lot of things about myself that I didn't realize yet but would find out the hard way.

"(YN) are you ready?" mom asked.

I took one last look around the room, "I guess so mom."

All the way to the airport my mom was telling me all the things I wasn't allowed to do and the obedient child that I was didn't argue, "Yes mom. I know mom." Was all I said.

As I stepped on the plane I started to feel a strange feeling. It was a mixture of panic, claustrophobia, and drowsiness. The stewardess showed me to my seat and once seated I must have passed out.

I woke to the stewardess, "Ma'am we have landed. It's time to get off the plane."

I took a few deep breaths and stepped off the plane. I expected to freak out at the sight of all the people everywhere, and there were a lot of them, but I was unusually calm. The air smelled a lot different here. It wasn't as clear and crisp as back home. I started to dig in my pocket for the directions my mother gave me, and people kept bumping into me calling me names like "freak," and "Hippie". I knew what they were saying from some of the books I had read but I couldn't understand why. I wasn't either of those things.

I got in the cab and directed the cab driver to take me to my dorm. My parents said they tried to get me a private room and tried to find me an apartment but to no avail. I was going to have a roommate. I didn't know if I would be excited or not, but I was about to find out.

I finally found my dorm room and hesitantly opened the door, wheeling my luggage behind me. My roommate was already there, "Hi..." I said shyly.

She looked up at me, "Hey..."

I didn't know what to think about her. Her hair was pink and blue striped. She had her nose pierced and wore a lot of studs on her leather clothes.

I walked over to my bed and threw my suitcase on it. As I opened it she was standing over my shoulder. I could feel her breathing down my neck, and she had a weird smell.

I almost knocked her down when I turned around, "Hi. I'm (YN)."

She smiled at me, looking me over, "I'm Kat. Where are you from?"

I watched her walk around me, "Wyoming, you?"

She laughed, "Oh okay. Honey do you have ANY idea who you are?"

I smiled at her, "I know exactly who I am. I'm (YN)."

She laughed harder, "No honey. What kind of person are you?"