On...Good-byes? Maybe?

4 is an absurdly small number when it comes to facing the biggest transition in your life. It hardly seems like enough time to pack and get ready to go.

It's astounding and disconcerting how soon I'm leaving. It's kind of scary that I'm saying good-bye. Last night, I said good-bye to several good friends (and a few acquaintances) who, in all likelihood, I will not see before I leave in 4 days. And then I may not ever see them again (though I sincerely hope this is not the case (I have found out that I can go to Philly from Richmond by bus in about 8 hours for about $35 round-trip (thank you Megabus.com for running from DC to Philly for $20!))). I never thought I'd feel this way. Of course I'm excited, but it's all kind of tinged with these negative emotions (anxiety, sadness, nostalgia). To be honest, I'm even kind of feeling regret about opportunities I've missed and things I wish I could have changed before I left.

I'm so ready to start my life: to be independent, to go by my own schedule, to live (and learn, and love, and laugh, and lose, and everything that goes with those things). It's just hard to reconcile that excitement, this beautiful feeling that this is the step I need and want to take to be who I want to be, with the fact that I have a life that I like, a life that I'm comfortable and happy in, which I'm going to have to leave behind to make this change.

In a way, I hope most people are going through what I'm going through. I know a lot of people are just excited, and it kind of surprises me, because I always thought I'd be one of them: ready to walk away and never look back and never regret a single moment that passed without me. I don't think that's true anymore. I still can't wait to go to college, to be a spider, and to live my life. I just don't think I'll be able to turn my back and pretend I don't miss my family and my hometown and my friends anymore.

Love, Love, Love,
Rachel Leigh

On Impatience and Opportunities

I'm a fan of the phrase "Patience is a virtue." Because, well, it is. I've been incredibly impatient and anxious recently, however, about an opportunity at Richmond that I'm really excited/terrified to hear back about. I received an email about two weeks ago about an opportunity to blog for the Spider Diaries, which is the student campus life blog.

The application process was pretty simple: 500-1000 words on who you are and why you chose Richmond. But now I have to wait while they process the other applications and make their decisions. To be honest, I really want this job. A lot.

Here is a list of reasons why I should get one of the Spider Diaries slots:

1. I already maintain a blog (this one), so I'm used to writing my thoughts down and posting them for the world to see. Plus, I've got some pretty loyal readers, some of whom are interested in UR, who I might be able to sway.


2. I'm fabulously fascinating, duh. (Just kidding.)


3. I've got a decent amount of free time this coming semester to both live life and blog about it.


4. I've been living for 18 years. I think I'm pretty good at it nowadays.


5. I've been blogging on and off for 5 years. I think I'm pretty good at it nowadays.


6. I'm going to be a Spider. I'm proud that I'm going to be a Spider. I'm really excited that I'm going to be a Spider.


7. I like talking.


8. I wrote my application post about spider waffles in the UR cafeteria, being an arachnophobe going to a school whose mascot is the spider, and wearing sunglasses at my graduation.


9. I wore sunglasses at my graduation. Cool, right? (That's me on the far left.)
   
10. I'm smart, driven, quirky, energetic, and snarky. I'm open-minded and forward-thinking, and with some of the changes UR has been trying to make to its image over the next few years, I'm a good representation of the slightly unusual Richmond candidate.

So, in conclusion:

a) I really want this job.
b) I'm terribly anxious to hear back about it.
c) I should be more patient.
d) EEEEP.

Spider-ly Yours,

Rachel Leigh

Follow-Up: On Walls

So, after I made my last post about my wall, I've been getting some feedback about my blog and my move and such.

First of all, it's really great to hear from people who actually like what I'm doing, so thanks guys. ^-^

Second of all, my friend Maya (she's a real sweetheart and an avid follower of ChartJackers and CharlieIsSoCoolLike (www.youtube.com/charlie) on YouTube) sent me a link to a really entertaining and related video, starring CharlieIsSoCoolLike himself, Mr. Charlie McDonnell, taking down...a wall very much like mine. Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uINiAbQdj0U . Maybe I'll make a video at some point chronicling some of the things coming down.

For the time being, though, you should watch Charlie being adorable about it.

On Change

Normally, I start my blog posts with a title and a clearly-defined purpose: “on…whatever.” Right now, if I were to do that, the resulting title will be “On…I’m not quite sure.” Maybe I’ll keep that title. For now, I just need to talk.

Last September, I was applying to college and I wrote an essay about a wall. Not THE Wall, not the Great Wall, but MY wall. My wall was a 68 square foot, multi-media (as in several media, not as in flashing, twinkling, music-playing) collage. I thought I had a picture of it. I don’t. I would take a picture now, but, as it turns out, in addition to my leaving for college in 2 weeks, my family is also moving.

So, long before I was ready, my precious wall has begun to come down. This is what my wall now currently looks like. About half of it remains on my now depressingly-periwinkle (previously not visible) wall. The other half is now in a silver plastic tub to be put in storage somewhere.

I guess it’s time for change. My wall has been a huge representation of who I am for the last two years, but I’m moving on to another point in my life, and maybe my wall won’t be the representation of who I am in this new stage.

Hey look, I found a slightly deeper angle! Sweet. I can now name this post something other than “On Wall.”

In Metamorphosis (Shedding my exoskeleton and growing some wings),
Rachel Leigh