Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Hellooooo College Park!

This is a bit overdue, but I had a glorious weekend in College Park!  It was very odd to go back to my alma mater and not really know many people.  Last time I was there, I had only graduated a few months earlier and therefore still knew many of the people on campus and in the band.  It was also homecoming so many more people showed up.  This time was quite different…the people who were freshmen when I was a senior are now seniors themselves (crazy!), and it was a random game instead of homecoming so the spectators were few and far between.  I was able to see many people who I went to school with, so that was exciting…but let me tell you…I felt so old.  Something about being around eighteen year olds really makes you realize how far you’ve come.  My goodness.

Can we also note that I am not a fan of noon football games?  We left my house at about 6:45 in the morning to make it to campus in time for some tailgating…soooo early!!  Anyway, here’s the fun in pictures:

DSC09717 Maryland has these specially decorated Testudos all over campus…and this one is a Marching Testudo!  Love it.

DSC09718I hit my knee on the corner…showing Testudo who’s boss!

DSC09720 Pre-game tailgate with my dorm neighbor from sophomore year!

DSC09728 Maryland flag in the end zone.  Fantastic.

DSC09731 The band all lined up for pre-game…I remember those days!

DSC09733 Spelling out “Maryland” on the field…I remember being in the “a”!

DSC09738 Pretty view of Byrd Stadium.

DSC09742 My band buddy from senior year is now drum major…here she is leading the band!  I like to think I shaped her into what she is today.  :)

DSC09746 Aw I love Testudo!

DSC09751 Crowd surfing mascot!

DSC09756 The Rocket Scientist and me and after the big win!

DSC09757 With one of the gigantic Testudos on campus…rub his nose for good luck!

DSC09759 Chris was my bus buddy senior year…we sat together during all the band trips, so when we hopped on the shuttle bus, I knew it was picture time!

DSC09761 At the bar with Julianne, my band buddy!  I’ve never felt so old in a bar before…

The game itself was quite exciting…We were expected to lose (boo!), but we managed to pull through and win.  Both teams spent about ten minutes going back and forth on our 30 yard line, which made for a nail biter in the end!  The Clemson field goal kicker missed two (yes, two!  I know what he’s doing this week…) field goal attempts that would have tied the game.  Luckily, we pulled through and won.  Woohoo!  I think the Rocket Scientist and I are good luck and we need to attend more games.  Obviously the solution here.

After the game, we headed to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner (which is now open in College Park!  Oh how I wish they had one when I went to school there), which was quite tasty.  Then we headed out to the bars with my now of-age friends.  I can’t believe they’re seniors!!  Next year I won’t know anyone at all!  Very sad.  The bar was an interesting experiencing, as apparently the style these days is to wear dresses that aren’t quite dresses…in fact, I’m not sure what you would call them, but they certainly didn’t cover much.  Also, while I may not quite look the part of 25 (even though my birth certificate says so!), I definitely felt old among this crowd.  So young!

I always say that I would love to go back to college.  I love the college life…learning, going to class, projects, being involved in all the activities, etc.  I was never a huge partier or anything…I’m such a nerd.  :)  While I miss college, I realize now that I was done with it.  A part of me is sad saying that because walking around campus, I didn’t feel like it was “mine” anymore.  I’m no longer a student…other people call campus “home.”  I definitely miss the freedom and automatic group of 250 friends (go band!), but I suppose we all have to grow up sometime!

9 comments:

  1. I was just back at my college campus too, I know exactly what you were feeling! I went back this weekend and it didn't feel like I was a part of it like I used to, just kind of passing through. I think that I might like to start going to classes again; maybe someday...

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  2. What a great day. Isn't going back to college as an adult crazy?!

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  3. awww looks like you had SUCH fun :)college football games are always a blast

    for serious though when we used to go out in college we wore jeans and tshirts or hoodies haha none of these wanna be dress shirts. it's pretty crazy! and I always feel like the g-ma in the room when all the little girls have their butt cheeks hanging out and I'm like uuuuh did i miss the style memo..

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  4. cute pictures! i didnt even know what a testudo was!

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  5. I went to my high school band's marching competition this weekend--I miss it so much!! It was weird seeing them kiddies and thinking 'wow I used to be one of them.' I thought I was so old and mature senior year hahaha. They seemed so young--I think that's going to happen a lot until were in our 50s or something though.

    Our football games aren't quite as spectacular as yours--jealous! Your band looks great!

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  6. Aw! That sounds so great. I'm planning a trip back to a field hockey game on Halloween and I'm sure I'm going to feel like such a grandma! Nothing like going back to school on a crazy holiday and not participating in the festivities!

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  7. it was a Gooorgeous day for a game!! glad you had such a fun trip :)

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  8. I really like Maryland's colors. The red is so classy!

    Being a grad student is kind of weird for the reasons you cited--I definitely don't call the campus "home" like I did in undergrad, but I'm tied to it every day. Plus, I feel old compared to all the undergraddies walking around.

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  9. So bummed I missed you this weekend. By the time I dragged my butt out of bed to go for a run and got home and showered it was like 11. I figured I wouldn't make it to CP in time for any tailgating at all! Are you going to be at any other games this year?

    I had that weird sense of I'm too old for college one of the last times I was there. Some friends were going to Bents after a soccer game, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

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