Exeunt, Pursued by Bears

National Mall, May 8, 2016

My apologies for breaking my biweekly post schedule! I was waiting to finish finals and get back to Georgia. I am now, officially, finished with my freshman year of college! I've been home for a week and a half; I'm unpacked, mostly caught up on sleep, and settling into summer lethargy and heat.

I ended the semester with a 3.7 GPA! I still don't know my class schedule for next semester because I'm waitlisted for two courses. Now I have an entire summer to help the family move, say goodbye to Georgia, and indulge. Since my family is moving mid-summer, I won't be interning or working, so there's plenty of time to help renovate and pack, to read, to research, to run, and to enjoy the sun.

The week before I left DC, my friend Audrey asked me, "What did you learn this year?" I've been thinking about that question frequently lately. Of course I learned about linguistics, ethics, Hispanic culture, theology, and justice & peace theories, but I've learned so much more than that, too. I've learned I'm not good at sharing a living space, and I've learned I need structure to survive with sanity intact. I've learned I'm a lot like my dad in more ways than one, from our music tastes to our need for solitude and peace. I've learned the value of dialogue, of listening attentively to others' opinions and thoughts, of engaging with others' ideas. I've learned how to find God in just about anything, but especially in religious and spiritual texts of other traditions. I've learned my way around DC, ways to stay safe, the value of a square foot of space, and how often to call my parents.

This past year was far from easy, but it was worth it. I'm nervous for my sophomore year, because I'm still trying to solidify my new friendships and being home again has shown me how much loving relationships keep me emotionally and mentally healthy. One of my main goals this summer is to form strong healthy habits so that I can start my sophomore year in good shape.

I'm not sure if I will update this blog throughout the summer, or how frequently those updates may come. I hope you all have a wonderful summer whether you are working, studying, traveling, or resting! Take some time to appreciate your growth in the past twelve months. Every day is a new challenge, a new adventure. Let's enjoy it.

Untitled #2

Dahlgren Chapel in 1952, from the University Archives

On Friday night, Annemarie Hodge died. Mrs. Hodge was my kindergarten teacher, an incredibly kind and caring woman. In a parent-teacher meeting, instead of calling me bossy she said I had "a tendency to overuse [my] leadership abilities." She pronounced my name differently, in a way that made five-year-old me feel fancy. She was patient and supportive, even when I was poorly behaved (which happened often at five years old). After leaving her class, she always greeted me with a big smile. I felt painfully awkward and out of place as a child, and Mrs. Hodge always made me feel welcome and important. I don't think I was particularly special in that regard; she treated everyone like they were important and special. She taught many children, including special needs students. Mrs. Hodge had two young sons and a husband who works at the Johns Creek Police Department. It's hard for me to explain why her death is so upsetting to me. I haven't seen her in at least two years, possibly more. Her role in my life largely ended fourteen years ago. Still, her influence was incredibly important in my early development. I wasn't bossy, I was just learning when to be a leader and when to take a step back. I wasn't a nuisance or a bad kid, I just needed some patience and kind but firm direction. I don't think it's fair that Mrs. Hodge died. Of all the people in the world, she was one of the better ones. She helped so many people, me included. She's left behind two sons and a husband, among other family members, and there are so many people that she could have helped.

Recently I was in conversation with Father Greg Schenden and Reverend Bryant Oskvig, the University's Catholic and Protestant Chaplains, respectively, and both men agreed that they prefer to officiate funerals over weddings. When I asked why, Father Greg explained, "At funerals, people come searching for meaning." Weddings, they said, are much more perfunctory, but at funerals, their services are fully utilized. In the face of death, we all search for meaning.

Yesterday the Georgetown student body received an email from the Vice President of Student Affairs, titled "Sad News." A junior from the Business School died, the second Georgetown student to pass away this semester. The first was a freshman from the School of Foreign Service over Easter Break. We're all searching for meaning.

In Other News

On a happier note, I have some updates on my life. This week is the final week of classes of my freshman year. Next Monday is the last day of classes, and Tuesday through Thursday are study days. Finals begin Friday and last until May 14th. God willing, I will be back in Georgia by May 15th. I have approximately eight more assignments and/or exams until it's time to pack up my dorm room.

Last Friday I met with the director of the Justice and Peace Studies (JUPS) program, and declared my double major! Introducing Hannah Q Wingett, linguistics and JUPS double major at Georgetown University. Tentatively my JUPS concentration is Religion/Catholicism & Peace/Social Justice. The title will be formalized later in my Georgetown career.

Next year I might be leading a small faith group through Campus Ministry, possibly on "Suffering & Healing." I'm hoping to continue my involvement in the organizations I currently support, so next year will be quite the challenge with my preexisting commitments, my RA position, and leading a small group. Prayers and support, as always, are greatly appreciated.

I hope you all have a wonderful day, readers. Remember to appreciate the moment you're in. In the words of C.S. Lewis, "The humans live in time but [God] destines them to eternity. He therefore, I believe, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time with they call the Present. For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity. Of the present moment, and of it only, humans have an experience analogous to the experience which [God] has of reality as a whole; in it alone freedom and actuality are offered them." Be well.

One Year Later

Dahlgren Chapel & Healy Hall, March 28, 2016

One year ago today, I filled out some paperwork, paid $900, and thus officially committed to Georgetown. I hoped to get a room in New South, major in linguistics, and prepare myself for a career in international diplomacy. I had a house in Georgia, two cats, and no idea how dramatically my life was about to change. Right now I sit in room 301 of Village C West, a linguistics and justice & peace studies double major with a potential minor in Spanish. I have no cats, and my house in Georgia will be sold in the next three months. I've seen the Pope, met Vice President Joe Biden, and sat fifteen feet in front of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. I've learned more than I knew could be learned in just one year. I've been introduced to so much music.

Today I woke up late and put on a sundress. I had scrambled eggs and cinnamon rolls and soy milk, and then I ran a few errands. Afterwards, I did a few readings before getting dinner with my lovely friend Julia, and then we went for a short walk that ended in Dahlgren Chapel. We said hey to Jesus, and then parted ways to do work.

A year and four days ago, I was still grappling with the overwhelming prospect of student loan debt. A year ago, I took a big chance, and decided that Georgetown would be worth it. I was right. Despite my mental illness, which still plagues me and occasionally makes me more miserable than I want to admit where my grandma is going to see it, I'm happier here at Georgetown than I could have been at any other university. I've learned so much about life, about people, and about the world. Georgetown fosters communication—I've learned to listen here better than ever before. I, thankfully, can read at a much faster rate than I could in high school. My mind is being opened to so many ideas, and my heart has grown so much.

In the end, this is all to say, I'm grateful. I'm grateful I listened to my instincts telling me I wouldn't be happy at UGA, even though UGA would have been a much smarter financial move. I'm grateful my parents trusted me when I made my decision. I'm grateful that Georgetown gave me as much aid as they did, and that Wells Fargo stepped in to supply the remaining balance. I'm grateful for every faculty & staff member at Georgetown, who form the atmosphere and philosophy of the university. I'm grateful for the prospect of change. I'm grateful I survived the transition to college. I'm grateful my family could visit me here in DC. Thank you all for reading and for supporting me. I appreciate you all very much. Be well, and trust your instincts, which are the Holy Spirit working through you.

Art & Positivity

Diana by Hiram Power

June by John White Alexander

Today has been long with ups and downs. One of the best parts of my day was visiting the Smithsonian Museum of American Art and seeing these two beautiful pieces. I love the moon on Diana's tiara, and the slight ambiguity of the title June delights me – is that woman June, or is the painting a tribute to the month? Art is incredible, and I'm thrilled I was able to stop by the museum today.

When life is hard, I have to focus on the positive aspects. Life cannot be bad, but it can be easy to get overwhelmed. (Life can't be bad because God is life, and God is The Best.) I'm a little overwhelmed lately with a barrage of papers and exams and presentation in the next two weeks. Having so much to do makes it easy to slip into a crisis mindset in which everything is bad or an inconvenience, but that's just not true.

Today I had three meals and clean water to drink and clean with. I visited a free museum with a wide variety of art styles and uncensured pieces. I can type this blog post and listen to music and have electricity. I go to a fantastic school in a fascinating city. I'm safe, and alive, and relatively healthy. The temperature was nice today, and there are a lot of flowers to admire. I'm blessed, no matter how many tasks there are on my to-do list.

(If you care, here is my to-do list for today:

• read True American
• read "Living Water"
• write JUPS reflection paper
• study vocab (Spanish)
• study grammar (Spanish)
• study cultural content (Spanish)
• work on presentation
• this blog post
• submit passport application
• start linguistics homework
• email Prof. Amster
• submit financial aid form
• call Grandma Ruth
• confirm housing assignment
• probably do laundry
• go to Mass at Father Steck's
• decide whether to apply to be a peer advisor
• remind parents to bring boxes when they visit

Some of these have been completed already today, but most have not. Cheers, folks.)

Spring~

Atlanta Botanical Gardens as of 3/9/2016

Right now, I would love to take a nap. Instead, I'm working on checking things off the to-do list—as usual, it's a pretty long list. Unfortunately my midterms season straddled spring break, so although I successfully made it to spring break, I'm currently trying to make it to Easter break late next week.

Yes, Georgetown students get two breaks in the spring semester, spring break and Easter break; it's one of the perks of going to a Catholic school. Spring break is an entire week, and for my break, I went back to Georgia. Last week the weather in Georgia was delightful, and I wore shorts for the first time in roughly four months. It was wonderful to go back home for a little while and spend time with family and friends. 

Easter break is five days, so next week we will not have class Thursday through the following Monday. I plan on spending my Easter break in southern Virginia at my aunt Judy's house; it's going to be a great reward for surviving this next week. Other ways I will reward myself: sleep. So much sleep. I will watch the new season of Daredevil (which premieres on Netflix tomorrow!!). I will take walks in nature, and I will remind myself that life is more than a to-do list.

Sorry for the short (and three days late) post today, but a Spanish essay is calling my name. Take care!

Leap!

White House State Dining Room on February 27, 2016

Hello, all! Things have been moving quickly for me lately.

Friends!

Just this past weekend, my dear friend Melissa came to visit me here in DC. She arrived Friday afternoon and left this morning, and in those two and a half days, we visited the White House, the Kennedy Center, the Folger Shakespeare Library, The Hamilton (a restaurant on 14th Street), the Georgetown Neighborhood Public Library, Good Stuff Eatery, and Pie Sisters. We walked at least 15 miles in two days and got relatively little sleep. It was absolutely wonderful to see her, and I'm so grateful that she came.

RA

Last Thursday, I received an email notifying me that I am going to be an RA! I'll be staying another year in this dorm, Village C West (VCW)! I'm thrilled to have the chance to help new freshmen adjust to Georgetown and to college life in general. Mom is particularly pleased that RA financial benefits include housing and a meal plan. Next year is thus far looking good!

Moving

Since I was a small child, my parents have talked about wanting to move "back home" to be closer to family. I didn't understand the complicated nature of moving at the time, so I went to school often saying, "We're moving to Nebraska!" One year, a couple of girls asked me, "Why are you still going to school here? I thought you were moving to Nebraska."

Well, finally we are moving to Nebraska—or rather, my family is. My mother just signed the paperwork for a new job and announced it to her coworkers and friends, so the news is public. My family will be moving to Omaha this summer, hopefully at the end of June. Until then, my father will rapidly paint, renovate, and otherwise pretty-up my childhood home. My mother will start her new job in April, commuting occasionally but mostly working long-distance, and my sisters will finish their last school year at Ocee Elementary and their last few months of being Georgia girls.

As for me, I will return home after finals and help pack up the house. I will help my family move into the house in Omaha, and in mid-August I will return to DC. At that point DC will be my home. I will of course visit my parents in Omaha and my friends in Atlanta, but I will live in DC.

Midterms

Academics are currently stressful! I have a hundred things to do before I go home to Georgia this Friday, and over my spring break I will spend time with my family, my friends, and my textbooks, getting ready for Round Two after the break. Once I make it through this week, I can sleep, at least a little bit more than I have been lately.

To Sum Up:

I am tired. I'm feeling more at home here in DC. I'm excited about some things and happy about some things and anxious about some things, and overall I'm just ready for the nap I'm going to take an hour from now.

I hope everyone is doing well!

P.S.: I'm pleased I get to make a post on February 29. Cheers!

Loss

2000-2016

I am having a really hard time. I feel weird about putting that on the internet where I know my grandma can read it, but it's true. My cat died last week. I am struggling. I am crying as I type. I have cancelled on a lot of people in the past week because I don't want to go anywhere or see people or do things. I want not to think. I want her to be alive. I want to hold her.

I'm a little late on this week's post. I delayed because I was busy and because I didn't feel right about posting something primarily negative.

Here are the positives in my life right now:

• I have shelter, food, and clean water.
• I have clothes & blankets that keep me warm during this cold of winter.
• The sun is setting later and later; today it was 5:20 when I suddenly realized it was still bright outside and I silently, slightly, rejoiced.
• I have a lot of people who love me.
• I have cute things to brighten up my life—art from Cassie on my wall, a drawing from my cousin Cameron, a pretty flowery keyboard cover, nice stickers on my computer, lovely blankets.
• I go to school in an amazing city, at an amazing university.
• Jesuits exist and I'm friends with a few of them.
• Chaplains-in-residence are really great, and I can email them at any time to set up a coffee date.
• I can walk and run and otherwise move independently.
• I have a teddy bear from my best friend Helen that I can hug because, in the words of her little brother Ethan, "you can't be sad when you're hugging a teddy bear." (I'm sorry to report that, actually, you can.)
• My classes are interesting this semester, and I'm involved in really interesting discussion groups for the semester as well.

There are probably more. Writing this list was helpful for me because I am very sad and depressed, and it was helpful to be reminded of my blessings in life. I'm sorry for a primarily negative blog post; I hope you'll forgive me.

Home

The Lantern Bookstore on P Street

I have a few new goals for this semester, all working toward one big goal: feel at home in DC. I want to go out and explore much more—find the cool little shops around the city, beautiful study spaces for when I need a change of scenery, and the best places to get a smoothie. I want DC to feel like home. Right now, my home is still Johns Creek, but my family won't live there forever. Ever since I was a child, my parents have talked about wanting to move back to Nebraska, and now that I live in DC, there's very little stopping them from finally moving. I won't always have Johns Creek to come back to, so I need to make DC my new home. Living here, it seems, isn't enough. I have to get to know the place, too.

Today my friend Julia and I walked down P Street toward the public library, and we found a cool shop that sells "Used & Rare!" books. I'm considering making every Sunday my day to get off campus and find something cool and new. I would say I like DC, but honestly, I don't know it well enough yet. We've only just met.

Blizzards?

Last weekend DC, along with much of the East Coast, was hit with a large storm. Along the southern coast was mostly rain, but the DMV area was hit with more snow than I've ever seen in my life. There was a frankly horrific amount of snow. Growing up in Georgia, I didn't see much snow. In two days, 22 inches of snow fell on DC, and I was overwhelmed. During the snow storm a few friends and I walked about a mile to deliver food to a soup kitchen; the streets were deserted and everything felt eerily apocalyptic. Classes were cancelled on Monday and Tuesday, and then I became very sick and missed class on Wednesday and Thursday. There is still snow on the ground everywhere, but the roads and sidewalks are (mostly) clear. 

Today is a beautiful, sunny 57 degrees. I'm mostly healthy again, although I still have a bit of a stuffy nose, and Jesuit Heritage Week begins this evening. Jesuit Heritage Week is essentially a week-long celebration of the Society of Jesus, and Georgetown celebrates with Jesuit-student volleyball matches, special prayer services and religious services, and a number of talks and events. Tonight I'll be attending puja, the Hindu religious service, as part of Jesuit Heritage Week and also to complement my readings in my theology class. (Aunt Judy, if you're reading this, I'll be sending a few essays on Hinduism your way very soon!) 

I'm excited to start a new week, a new month, a new and sunny phase of life. Be well and happy, my readers! And let me know if there is anything I can do for you, such as writing about specific topics or even just including you/your intentions in my prayers.

Snowy Beginnings

Snow & Book Hill Park, January 17th, 2016

I've been back in DC for less than a week, and on two separate occasions have enjoyed the beauty of falling snow! The snow isn't sticking yet, but it's still beautiful.

My first three days of classes were fine and even interesting, despite just being the introductory syllabus week. This semester will be extremely busy, and to stay on top of things, I'll have to work very hard. I'm considering dropping a class so that I have a little more time to breathe, but we'll see how everything turns out.

On my plane ride back to DC, I listened to the musical Hamilton, which I highly recommend. A blend of hip-hop, rap, R&B, and musical theatre, Hamilton follows the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant who "[wrote] like he's running out of time" and rose from poverty to fame through determination and hard work. The musical was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the son of an immigrant who also works insanely hard. Listening to such an inspiring story by and about hard-working people was a great motivator for the beginning of this semester. Over the past few days I've often said, "Alexander Hamilton would have started and finished that by now," and, "Lin-Manuel Miranda would do this immediately." It's always a pleasure and a gift to find new sources of inspiration and motivation.

I am currently writing this post from the Georgetown Public Library, an old and beautiful building that looks like it could have been a plantation house once upon a time. I can't imagine the history that must have occurred here, the people that have been here, and it's an amazing place to work and think. The collection of books is quite good as well, and I have five books I'm going to check out and hopefully find time to read. I don't want my life to be all work, all the time. I doubt I could survive that with my sanity intact.

My classes are quite interesting for this semester! Already I've learned that the human tongue is a muscular hydrostat (meaning it has no bone, cartilage, or other structure) and its "closest biological analogs are the trunk of an elephant and the tentacle of an octopus" (from Sounds of Language by Elizabeth Zsiga). I've learned about Hinduism, fairy tales, native languages in Latin America, and the complications of "justice" and its meanings. I'm confident that this semester will be interesting and engaging; I'm hopeful that I'll escape in one piece!

Be well, warm, and happy on this lovely Sunday!

2015 in Review

Healy Hall, December 15, 2015

Currently listening to: Dance Party playlist on Spotify

Housekeeping

It's been a bit too long since my last blog post! I am a big fan of resolutions and fresh starts, and one of my New Year's Resolutions for 2016 is to post on this blog biweekly.

For anyone not yet aware, it is possible to subscribe to this blog by email! That way you are notified every time I post something new. To follow by email, see the box on the right hand side of the blog, right above the contact information!

One Semester Down, Seven to Go

I now have completed my first semester of college, and I finally received my grades! There's a lot about the Georgetown grading system that I don't yet understand, but I plan on fixing that next semester so that I'm not anxiously unaware of my grades throughout finals season. My grades turned out very well this semester, and I'm grateful that I gave myself the leniency of just trying my best and not worrying about the numbers. My mother has already posted my grades on Facebook (thanks, Mom), but I'll tell you all that I came out with a 3.668 GPA. It's definitely lower than my high school average, but that's okay. As I've already stated on this blog, first semester freshman year often sees a dip in grades. I went from a Georgia public high school to Georgetown University; a lower GPA is unsurprising. I'll continue trying my best in the semesters ahead!

Next semester I will be taking:

• Intro to Justice and Peace Studies, a course about peace, diplomacy, and social justice
• Sounds of Language, a linguistics course on phonetics and phonology
• Advanced Spanish II
• History Seminar: Popular Culture in Early Modern Europe
• Problem of God, a famous Georgetown class on theology and how it figures into the human experience 
• Intro to Ballroom Dance, a leisure and recreation 0-credit course just for fun

Mental Health ¿?

This semester was very hard on me. I've struggled with mental illness off and on since I was thirteen, and this semester depression and anxiety took hold of me once again. Because of that, I don't know what to say when people asked me about Georgetown. "How is Georgetown? How was school? Do you love it there?" and similar questions are difficult to answer; I do love Georgetown, I think. I do love it there, I think. But school was hard; at Georgetown I am so far from every support system I made for myself to cope with my mental illness at home, and I'm doing my best to create new support systems at Georgetown. It's slow going, but I'll make it happen. I still can't see myself at any other university, and that's how I know I do love it. Coming home was reassuring because the depression did not disappear, meaning the problem is not DC, but my own mental health.

I'm going to make a lot of lifestyle changes in the New Year and keep trying to pursue support systems at Georgetown. I'm feeling confident about next semester. Mental health is not easy, just like every other aspect of health. Without health and love, we have nothing; it's important to prioritize both health and relationships, both of which require substantial effort and upkeep. It's foolish to think that either are easy, and detrimental to assume that mental health (or any other aspect of health) just sorts itself out. I'm feeling confident that I've learned enough about myself and my mental illness to fight it, and hopefully, win.

2015

This has been a big year! I graduated high school, moved out of my parents' house and out of Georgia, and began studying at Georgetown. Here are some of my best moments of 2015:

June 20: Bootyclan reunited and we took this wonderful, happy picture.

August 4: Allison, Melissa, Isabel, and I hiked part of the AT and stayed at the Hike Inn. 

August 11: every time I saw Helen (this is just a good representative picture)

July 2-9: Panama City Beach with my family and the Leatherburys.

July 10-12: Steubenville Atlanta.

September 9: Tyler Joseph of the band twenty one pilots sings above the crowd at Echostage in DC.

September 24: I saw Pope Francis and wept. 

October 16: my family visited me at Georgetown.

October 25: Father Greg Schenden, S.J., collects himself before Mass on the ReFRESHMENt retreat at the Calcagnini Contemplative Center in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

October 30: my lovely friends took me to dinner on my nineteenth birthday.

October 30: Ellen Bannon gave me flowers for my birthday. The real best moment, though, was when I met her and became friends with her. (This is just a particularly lovely picture of her and our friendship.)

November 8: I made this cookie for my tutee in the DC Schools Project program. Tutoring her gives me great joy.

November 14: after months without orchestra, seeing the National Symphony Orchestra felt like breathing again. 

November 21: my parents surprised me by bringing Topper, my cat of fifteen years, to my grandparents' house for Thanksgiving break.

December 8: celebrating the Feast of the Immaculate Conception at Dahlgren Chapel was beautiful; meeting Father Leo O'Donovan, S.J., former president of the university and for whom the dining hall is named, was equally wonderful.

December 19: Allison and my family picked me up from the airport. 133 days was too long without her.

 
 Some of my other best moments include graduating from Chattahoochee High School, having my extended family come for my graduation, my graduation party, seeing Smirts again after a long semester, and realizing that I'm asexual.

In Sum

2015 was a long year full of adventure, love, and good fortune. There were ups and downs as usual, but I'm just as blessed as always.

Thank you for reading and for supporting me this year! Take care, and see you in 2016~!

Untitled #1

statue of John Carroll, Georgetown's founder, this morning November 14, 2015 

Red Square, November 14, 2015

Life is strange sometimes. Last night felt like the entire world was falling apart—Paris under attack, suicide bombs in Beirut and Baghdad, earthquakes in Japan and Mexico, and protests and ambulances on campus. My cell phone, for whatever reason, stopped working last night, but I luckily can receive iMessages on my laptop. Melissa informed me of Paris, and for a long moment of ignorance being bliss, I forgot that my friend Ana is in Paris. Then I remembered, and from that moment to the one in which I got a hold of her, I experienced all-consuming fear.

I'm writing this as the Georgetown pep band performs very loudly outside my window. The sun is shining, the Healy clock tower chimes the quarter of the hour, and the wind sighs heavily. The juxtaposition of terror and beauty are nearly overwhelming, but I'm grateful to be in the beauty now. I'm grateful that there is beauty today to remind the world that hope exists. I'm grateful for the strength of human spirit which allows us to continue even in the most difficult of times.

A week from right now, I will be in Nebraska visiting my extended family. I will have completed 7 major assignments/assessments and, ideally, several interviews for my linguistics final project. I have been anxious and overwhelmed lately. It's often said that Georgetown's midterms start the third week of classes and last until the week before finals; right now I'm inclined to agree with that statement. I have thirteen more days of classes, after which we have reading days and then finals.

My current goals include getting my phone fixed, taking a nap, and surviving the next week of work. I pray for peace in the world, peace in our hearts and home, and peace in my mind.

19

Happy fall from the Hilltop! These pictures are from around Georgetown and around campus, and all but one were taken on my birthday.

Having a birthday somewhere other than Johns Creek, Georgia, was weird, but it was still a really great birthday. I've always loved my birthday because it's the one day a year where everyone tries to tell me how much they love me. Everyone is always really sweet and I'm always very happy. 19 was no exception! I was a little late to my first class since I overslept a little, but classes went fairly well. I went to Good Stuff Eatery for lunch with Isaac, Michael, and Ellen; on your birthday you can get a free milkshake from Good Stuff, and it was a good milkshake.

 After that I dragged Isaac and Michael around M St with me. I got a free cupcake from Sprinkles (the chai latte flavor is pretty dang good), and then I browsed Paper Source since I love stationery shops. Once the boys were about to melt from boredom and I'd had my fill of cute stationery, we went to Baked & Wired where the boys got sweets. We walked down to the waterfront and ate our cupcakes overlooking the Potomac.

Then we went exploring a little bit, and during our adventures I took most of the fall photos at the beginning of this post. Once we got back to campus, there were dogs all over Healy Lawn! I got to pet three of them, and it was a great birthday treat. I love love love animals.

Is this not one of the cutest photos ever? Look at that pug in a costume!

After our explorations, it was "nap time"—I intended to nap but I watched the new episode of How to Get Away With Murder instead. After nap time, most of the gang got together to go to dinner at Mai Thai, a Thai restaurant that is popular around Georgetown. On your birthday you can get a free entree from Mai Thai as long as you have your ID and someone to eat with (it's pretty much a BOGO free deal). It was such a nice meal, and the kids surprised me with mango ice cream at the end.

When we got back to campus, somehow they convinced me to complete the Georgetown tradition of sitting on John Carroll's lap. Right in front of Healy Hall (the big castle building, for anyone who doesn't know) is a large statue of John Carroll, the founder of our fine university. One of the many Georgetown traditions is to get a picture of you sitting on his lap. I discovered that this simple task is much harder than it looks because John is quite tall, at least twice my height. After a few embarrassing attempts, I finally made it.

Michael tried his best to take a good picture in the pitch-dark of 7:30PM in DC fall.

After some more exploring, we finally returned to Isaac's dorm room where we continued the squad movie night tradition. Every week we have squad movie night, meaning our group of friends piles into Isaac's room and someone chooses a movie to share with the group. The general movie theme is each person's favorite movie, but on this night we obviously changed our theme to Halloween movies. We watched Hocus Pocus, one of my favorite movies and one that I watch almost every year on my birthday. We drank apple cider and had a lovely time. Although she couldn't stay for the movie, Ellen made a quick stop in Isaac's room to drop off her gift for me—a bouquet of flowers! The flowers currently sit on my desk in a water bottle since I don't have a vase, and they brighten up my days. I made such good friends here.

Ellen is THE BEST!

I got cards from various people from home, and my roommate got me a Georgetown cupcake (pumpkin cheesecake mmmmmmm). My birthday was absolutely wonderful. I have a good life here, good friends and good people and a good job and good circumstances. I'm always blessed, and I think on my birthday God likes to remind me of that fact a little bit more.

Family

Mom, chocolate ice cream, and peach melba at dinner on October 16, 2015

"Welcome to the Hoya Family!" they cheered at us during NSO. (For the non-Georgetown readers, NSO stands for New Student Orientation, the four days before classes start, full of overwhelming enthusiasm from orientation advisors and crippling freshmen awkwardness.) Honestly, the Hoya family isn't too far off from the Mohr family—just as many people I don't know at reunions, a hearty love of alcohol, and witty jokes. The only thing that's missing from the Hoya family is people telling me, "The last time I saw you you were this high!" like they'd forgotten about the passage of time and the growth patterns of children.

Last weekend was Family Weekend, and it highlighted an extremely important aspect of Georgetown and of the concept of "family" as a whole. 

My parents left Georgia last Thursday around 10 PM, and I woke up at 7:50 AM on Friday morning to a phone call from Mom. "We'll be there in fifteen minutes, okay, so get ready and we'll pick you up for breakfast!" My dad idled by Darnall Hall as we played twenty questions over the phone so that I could find him. (The winning answer was, "There's a hospital on campus, right? I think I'm by that.") We had breakfast in their hotel restaurant, and Mom could not stop smiling. The girls talked a mile a minute, just like always.

I was really excited to see and hug my family. I was really excited to introduce them to my new friends, and I was really excited to just hang out with them for a while. We ended up going to very few of the scheduled parents-weekend activities, deciding it was much more fun to spend time on our own. Everyone was really tired, them from the long car drive and me from doing this whole college thing, but it was so incredibly nice to see them.

Strangely, being with my immediate family made it feel like no time had passed. Also strangely, the "Hoya family" didn't seem to exist, at least not to me. The only family that mattered last weekend was my blood relatives and the people I had formed bonds with. I am a part of something here at Georgetown; I know that intellectually and emotionally. Maybe one day it will feel like a family, but for now, it is something Other, not necessarily worse but definitely not better. My family is the people I choose to love.

Rivers and Windchill

The Potomac River around 7:30 PM on October 10, 2015

It's extraordinary and strange and scary to think about how different my life is right now, and even more so to realize that right now is only the beginning of all that change. My parents met soon after college, and their lives completely changed together. Everything changes, and to be in a time of drastic and constant change is as terrifying as it is exhilarating. Today I met a recent Georgetown alumna who was a linguistics major and who is getting married on June 18. She met her fiancé at Georgetown—one of the many Hoyas who marry other Hoyas. Chances are high that I will meet my future spouse here at Georgetown.

So far, though, I'm just trying to get my feet solidly under me. I'm starting to feel less uprooted and more natural in this drastically different environment. I live in a city, next to a river, with colder Octobers, in a shared room, where nearly everyone is fabulously wealthy, in Ward 2 of the District. I live only a few miles from the White House. I cannot wrap my head around that.

Everything is going well, as I'm sure you were wondering. (I can hear you all now: "Hannah, stop babbling and tell us what we actually want to know!") Academics are a bit challenging in terms of time management—I've never had so much assigned reading in my life—but I'm getting decent grades. On my very first college test I earned a 95%! I have one test and one midterm this week, and then my midterm season is thankfully over.

Over the past two weeks, I've learned the importance of drinking water, getting eight hours of sleep, eating balanced meals, and exercising. I recently found a workout partner, Elizabeth, and we're set to work out in about seven hours. (Yes, I should probably be sleeping.) 

I've also learned the importance of just sucking it up, of communicating emotions, and of finding people you trust. I have found people I trust. It's still strange to open up to these new friends, but I'm making significant progress! Funnily enough, one of my closest friends here is named Ellen, and even though she's almost nothing like Helen, the similarity in names makes me smile.

I do have to admit, things haven't been entirely sunshine and daisies. The stress really got to me for a little while there, and the fact that I frequently forgot to take my medication didn't help matters. My main goal now is to prioritize properly. God, health, academics, and then everything else—that should keep me sane and healthy, but it can also be harder than it sounds. I'm trying my hardest to find the right balance in college since unfortunately my high school balance doesn't seem to apply here.

Even though it's strange to be here and I have no idea what my future looks like, I know deep in my bones that this is where I'm meant to be. I can't imagine myself anywhere else. I am so blessed.

Much love to you all,

Hannah Q.

VCW 301

After living here for a month, I finally took pictures of my dorm room for you all to see. Enjoy!

My white chair folds up when not in use, and my laundry hamper rests on my tub of food

My foot stool and part of my bed and desk 

The view from our door is mostly Kaitlin's side of the room

My wind chime hangs from our door-stopper

My rain boots and umbrella

Our door featuring my wardrobe, a poster Gracie got me for Christmas, and my colorful towels

My bed, window, and wardrobe

The succulent that Cassie gave me with the little pig that Haleigh gave me

The back of my wardrobe is covered in photos and art and poetry

The back of my wardrobe and its many pictures. The crucifix at the top was my mother's in college.

My desk

My shelves of novels, textbooks, water bottles, and keepsakes

Decorations of the wall above my desk

Decorations and reminders on the wall next to my desk

My roommate Kaitlin, her bed, and our refrigerator

Our shower curtain with dragonflies