Well, four weeks left. I am almost done with a full semester of college. A lot has changed since that day on August 14th. I packed up the car and was about to enter a whole new world called college. I knew no one. No one knew me. This was the day of a new beginning, a new chapter of my life.
We packed the car around ten that morning and let my just say, I've never seen that full of a car before - it's a good thing both me and my parents are little people and don't require much leg room. Then the car ride. An hour and fifteen minutes where all different emotions rushed through my body. Nervous for the unexpected. Excited for the new beginning. Heartbroken leaving all of my family and friends behind. Thrilled for finally getting out of the house (sorry mom and dad). Fearing of not fitting in. That drive to Indy was the fastest hour of my life because in no time, I looked up and saw where I would be living for the next year.
Unloading everything wasn't the problem, it was making sure everything found it's proper place in my new room. My parents and brother were just standing there waiting for me to tell them what to do next. Clothes put away in the closet and drawers, bathroom necessities placed in the shower, and desk is all organized. Yes, finally done! When I first pictured move-in day, I figured I would want my parents to leave as soon as everything was brought to my room. Well, everything was brought in, even unpacked, but I still wasn't ready for that moment.
My parents left for the store as they thought I needed a few more items. As soon as they left and the door closed behind them, I balled. It was this moment where I realized how much I needed my brother. I told him I couldn't do it. I wasn't ready for college. No one would like me. I won't make any friends. Then, he gave me "the look" as in "Lindsey, you're being your stupid, overreacting self." He told me I would be fine, but no matter what he said, nothing would make this pain go away. To let my mind settle down, we walked around campus to find my classes and help me get acclimated with the campus, because if anyone knows me, I'm directionally challenged. As we were walking, we received a call from my parents telling us they were waiting for us in the lobby. But I knew that whenever we all entered my room, it was time.
I've never been good with good-byes. But I also knew it wasn't a good-bye, because it's family. And family never leaves. Good-bye to my dad. To the man who has been my role model. To the man who inspires me to be independent and not let anything stop me. To the man who loves to pick on me. To the man who just randomly comes over, peaks over my shoulder, and leaves.Good-bye to my mom. To the woman who gave me birth. To the woman who people confuse me with all of the time. To the woman who I have fought with for 18 years. To the woman who I tell all my stories to. To the woman who I can call at anytime because she is always on her phone. Good-bye to my brother. To the man who is my best friend. To the man who always knows how to make me laugh. To the man who always knows how to push my buttons. To the man who taught me that it doesn't matter what other people think of me. I was saying good-bye to these three people who have been there with me for everything. And now they weren't.
We all walked out of room 618 to head to the elevators. Little did I know that the girl walking out of 629, Megan Broman, would become one of my best friends. Megan and I were in the same orientation group and talked a little. But we never thought we would ever see each other again. We rode the elevator down and entered the lobby where we said our last good-byes. But before our parents left, Megan and I took a picture together. This picture calmed both our parents as they knew what the future held. It was after this where I smiled. I made a new friend. But I made other friends that day too. We walked through the tunnels to head to our first class, BUS-X103. We didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. Walking into the room, I look for my name on a table, and of course it was at the last table I looked at. But I looked up and see someone I know! What?! It was Sydney Bockoski, who was also from my orientation group, and now another best friend.
The first day was a roller coaster. I went from a complete wreck, thinking I would make no friends, to reuniting with two girls from orientation who I now do everything with. But besides making new friends, I have grown stronger in my faith as well as coming to accept who I am as a little person.
Coming to IUPUI was a whole new experience for me. This was the first school I ever attended where I was not surrounded by people who shared my same faith. But the thing is, I never thought I would have to defend it. I never thought someone would challenge it. Boy was I wrong. Me and my roommate Mallory, who have been great friends before we came to college, have spent hours debating on the topic of homosexuality. But it wasn't a normal debate We weren't attacking each other. We weren't trying to put the other one down. We weren't trying to prove the other one wrong. We were simply expressing our views hoping the other person would see where we were coming from. But then there was also the movie Bridegroom. Sitting in my dorm room, Jake Adams, who I now spend everyday with, comes in telling us we have to watch this movie Bridegroom. While it did open my eyes, I still had to defend my thoughts and views of the movie. It has been these discussions, the movie Bridegroom, and little talks with Caleb Funke that have all strengthened my faith.
Being a little person is never easy. You have strangers who stare at you wondering why you are the way you are. You have troubles reaching things everyday. So coming into college, I wasn't really expecting anything less. It was about two weeks where I turned around and I see a stranger holding their phone up where their flash goes off. A complete stranger now has a picture of me. Why? I will never know. This irritated me as I felt someone popped my bubble. I never felt this violation of privacy because I come from Seymour, IN, where everyone knows everyone. Everyone knows my mom as Seymour is her hometown. Everyone knowing my mom meant everyone knows me, which means everyone knew I was short. But not at IUPUI. Not many people have ever seen or even met a little person before. So of course, seeing one for the first time raises curiosity. I have no problem with answering questions, I actually love it. But when people assume or begin name calling, that's when a problem will arise.
Coming to college has made me realize that in life, you always be faced with new experiences. These experiences are meant to challenge you and make you grow stronger as a person. In this first semester of college, I have already seen these experiences taking change in my life. I cannot wait to see what the next three and a half years have in store for me!
