Last Saturday, I piled into the car with four of my closest friends, heading out Furman’s back gate toward Asheville, except we never went to Asheville. For the first time in my life, I had absolutely no intention of iceskating!going anywhere; nowhere specific, anyway. Heading toward the mountains, we stopped at roadside fruit stands, a Dixie supply company, and several wildlife overlooks that most people hurry past. In the car, we’d sing along with the music for awhile; then, when we saw something really beautiful – a quiet, empty field, or the sun setting over the mountains – we’d pull off the road and just sit there in silence until someone finally suggested that we move on.

The Sunday before last, I woke up to someone pounding on my door. I looked outside the window, and there it was, a thin blanket of snow barely skimming the entire campus. My friends and I bundled up as fast as we could and ran outside to the practice football field, where we hurled grassy snowballs at each other and threw ourselves penguin-like down a hill. By 11:00 the snow was completely gone, although I still have a teeny snowman named Frostiqua living in my freezer as proof to those who woke up too late that it actually snowed at Furman.

Rush happened over the past three weekends. The Furman statistics say that less than 50% of students go Greek, but that’s a little misleading, as 70% of girls are in sororities. I, for one, don’t consider myself katie and I dyed our hair pink: bad idea.the sorority type, but a lot of my friends are really happy with their bids. The process in itself seemed mostly chill but very time intensive. It’s cool that even though my friends have their new “sisters,” I still spend time with them and they haven’t given up their former activities or social life to be gung-hoe Greek. I actually started my own sorority called EKKD (my roommate and my initials), and we decorated other Independents’ doors, congratulating them on their acceptance.

I love my new classes. I’m taking Spanish 215, Interpretive Strategies, Inventing Christianity, and Finite Math with Dr. Shell. I’m also overloading my course schedule to take drawing II, and, to do that, I had to meet with Dean Bartlett, who I swear is by far the coolest person I’ve met so far on campus. I’d expected a severe, Professor McGonagall-looking lady and was very surprised when I stepped into the office of a well-dressed younger woman who has grade school kids of her own. Needless to say, the meeting went well, and I picked up my drawing class, no problem.

My birthday was the Tuesday before we came back to Furman, so I had two parties- a lumberjack party at home, and an 80s dance party at school. The 80s party turned out to be a blast. I had a rockin dance we went here to watch the sunriseplaylist, along with cookie dough (unbaked), Razzles, Fundip, Pizza Bites, and chips, cheese, and salsa. (I love food, if you haven’t noticed). We stayed up late watching Ferris Bueler’s (spelling?) Day Off and eating candy. As soon as pictures go up on facebook, I’ll post them for you to see. Everyone went all out with their 80s clothes... it’s pretty funny.

Well, it’s time to head off to Spanish class.

¡Buena suerte en el final semestre!

Ella decorated the dorm Circus-style for my bday... I even have Britney quotes on my ceiling!