Finals, of course

There is but one thing on the minds of all the students on campus: finals week! Quiet hours are well underway, and I think I'm safe in saying that the entire campus has had its nose stuck in books since 6pm on Friday. Except for my roommates and I, of course...we spent all day at the Mall of America!

We decided that our brains would need a break from the constant pressure of studying, so last week we said Saturday would be our mental health day/Christmas shopping day/roomie road trip day. We rolled off campus at 8am, and ended up at IKEA by 10:30! We ate lunch at Famous Daves, and shopped till we dropped! I don't think I've had this much fun shopping in a long time...we made lots of fun memories while the rest of school was cramming their brains full of knowledge. After a quick stop in Rochester for a Chipotle dinner (num, my favorite!) we arrived back at campus around 8:30. We were pooped, but of course, we really wanted to wrap presents! So we spent another hour doing that before crashing. And now here it is, Sunday before my first college finals week, and my books are staring me in the face. So in light of the difficulty level of my finals, I feel it is in my best interest to oblige my books and begin some mad studying!

Always,
Allison

Emma, Abby and I on our shopping day

My theme song

Christmas time is here, happiness and cheer. Fun for all that children call their favorite time of the year. Yes, it is that time of year when everything reminds you of Christmas, and it's absolutely 100 per cent GLORIOUS!!!! Everyone around campus is cheerful, minus the fact that finals are right around the corner. But finals are overshadowed by the wondrous feeling of Christmas. It is very clear why this is many people's favorite time of year.

Snowflakes in the air, carols everywhere. Olden times and ancient rhymes of love and dreams to share. Snow is on the ground. It is white and it is fluffy and it is here to stay! Christmas songs are now my number one play list on my computer. Everyone is walking around in a dream-like trance. For me, these dreams include Christmas stocking hung by the fire, snowflakes drifting lazily from the sky, new books and old friends.

Sleigh bells in the air. Beauty everywhere. Yuletide by the fireside and joyful memories there. One of my favorite parts of winter sitting by the fire with a warm cup of hot chocolate, or more recently, chai tea or mocha. So I cannot wait to go home, sit by the fire with good friends, and reminisce while looking out the window at the snow covered landscape.

Christmas time is here, we'll be drawing near. Oh, that we could always see such spirit through the year. Christmas is by far my favorite season, simply because everyone I meet is always cheerful. I absolutely adore the joy this scintillating season brings throughout the entire winter.

Always,
Allison

Seconds, anyone?

Analogy: Luther and Thanksgiving dinner. Give me two minutes, and you'll see where I'm going.

Luther is like a Thanksgiving dinner. Before you arrive on campus, all you can do is think about it; the anticipation builds and builds until it almost bubbles over. Same with Thanksgiving: you wait and wait to eat all that delicious wonder in front of you. Your mouth waters, and your eyes glaze over. Finally you get to move into your dorm room, which is the equivalent of taking the first bite of your Thanksgiving meal. Then you feast. You eat and eat until you can eat no more. Same goes for Luther: you are running around like you're head's been cut off, trying to do everything, meet everyone, see all there is to see. But just like the stomach ache that comes from eating too much, overexerting yourself at Luther starts to take a toll. This is what I like the call the "Belt-loosening stage" of the meal. Your belt gets loosened a few notches at the dinner table; similarly, you take a step back from all of your many scheduled activities and just breathe. Along with this breather comes Thanksgiving Break, which, for many of us first year students, could not have come at a better time. Warm clothes need to be transferred from your home closet to your dorm closet, along with blankets, hats, and mittens.

But, of course, your stomach settles down, and you get hungry again. This is about the time you start yearning for the comfort of your dorm room. Seconds at Thanksgiving means more food, but at Luther, it means coming back to the final three weeks of your first semester of college with more force and vigor than ever before.

Analogies are always fun :-)
Always,
Allison

Has anyone seen the time? It was just here...

My oh my, how time flies when you're having fun. My roommate has a countdown of days until break, and I could swear she's changing the number more than once a day! It started at 19 days, and as I look at it now, it's dwindled quickly down to 2. Looking back on my week, I realize it went the same way: it started out pretty slowly, but by the time Friday came around, it was a frenzy!

Monday included a first for me: my first time participating in the Phonathon! The Phonathon is a fundraiser for Luther, and let me tell you, people really get into it! The volleyball team went to help, and it was really kind of fun. A few of my friends and I have started going to kickboxing a few times a week. It's very different, but it's really fun! I recommend trying it at least once.

Wednesday was a good day for me personally, but a bad day for my homework. I began reading Twilight, which, for those who don't know, is the newest Harry Potter. So I started this wonderful book on Wednesday, and neglected most of my homework so I could finish it. Which I did, just at a time of the night when most people were sleeping. Whoops! But it was totally worth it, because the next night was the movie premiere! A bunch of girls decided to go, so shirts were being made all day Thursday, naps were a necessity, and there we had it: the makings of my first midnight movie! Let me just say that although the reviews were horrible, I absolutely adore this movie!

This week is Thanksgiving break, which means no class for a good 5 days! I am stoked to go home and see all of my family, not to mention chow down on some of the best cooking in Minnesota :-) You can always tell when a break is coming; students become extremely unfocused, and most conversations revolve around travel plans, how many old friends you'll be seeing, and the ever looming question of how you're going to fit all of your dirty laundry in the car!

I'll leave you with a word of wisdom from someone much wiser than I:

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Always,

Allison

I've got the blues...

No, I'm not talking about the macaroni and cheese blue box blues, although I wish I was. My blues are more of a "it's not quite winter, but it's not really fall anymore" blues. This weather is kinda of getting me down. It's been rainy and cold here the past couple of days, which doesn't make you feel all warm and fuzzy when you're inside, unlike when it's winter, and there's snow on the ground and you can drink hot chocolate while wrapped up in a blanket, knowing that you're nice and toasty while it's snowing outside. So that's the weather forecast for Decorah right now: blues.

School has started to catch up with me. I've been sitting in the same chair all morning doing my Spanish homework. Keep in mind, I can't sit still for more than 5 minutes without fidgeting, so sitting for two and a half hours is crazy for me. And the worst part is, I'm still not done! And I want to get a head start on this weeks homework so I can get ahead before break. Because who wants to do homework when you're at home? Not me!

These past few nights have been pretty fun. Friday, I went to see the Jitro Girl's Choir, who performed in the Center for Faith and Life. They hail from the Czech Republic, and are one of the top choirs in the world. They were fantastic! Afterwards, I went to Walmart with Anna and her roommate Christy. We got some ice cream and watched a movie. Then yesterday, after doing a major biology lab report crunch, we (Anna, Christy and I) went to Mabe's pizza (I've said it before and I'll say it again: AMAZING!!!) and to the movie theater to watch the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. It was fun to get jazzed up and spend a night on the town. Don't get me wrong, I love sitting in my room and watching movies every weekend (don't worry, that was sarcastic), but it felt good to get dolled up once again.

As for this week, since it's almost Thanksgiving break, I'm predicting an avalanche of homework from all fronts. We're talking Spanish papers, Biology labs, Calculus tests, and, of course, another Paideia paper!!! The only plus I can see to all of this is that break will just seem that much sweeter when it comes! But until then, I'll be here, just trudging along!

Always,
Allison

Who would have thought that I would get a way with wearing shorts and a t-shirt in November in Iowa? Certainly not I. Coming from central Minnesota, I am well aware of the weather implications of the Midwest. However, something crazy is going on, and for the past week, the weather has been, dare I say it, NICE!!! I'm not sure what's happening, but I'm sure not complaining :-)

JV had our last volleyball match on Tuesday. We couldn't pull out a win, which was disappointing, but overall our season was very successful. If anyone out there is debating whether or not to continue with their sport in college, I would highly recommend it. Being on a team gives you an instant family, no matter how cliche that sounds. I know that while I may not be best friends with the entire team, they are always there for me if I need them, and vice versa. Teams give you a sense of belonging, a sense of importance, and most of all, a sense of family. I will miss volleyball this winter; I can't wait for spring season to start!

Other than that, things are continuing quite nicely. Students are beginning to register for J-Term and Spring Semester classes. I am very much looking forward to a change of pace over J-Term, and some new, hopefully more exciting classes this Spring. I enjoy most of my classes right now, but they are beginning to lose their charm, as most things do once they become routine. I am crossing my fingers to get into the classes I want, but, as always, there are a few back ups.

Well I must ske-daddle. I get to go watch fish swim around a tank for two hours for my biology lab (see what I mean about being mundane?)
Always,
Allison

Who needs Halloween? I've got summer!

As soon as I had mentally prepared myself to wear hats and mittens outside until May, not including lots of jackets and scarves, God throws me for a loop and decides it should be 70 degrees to round off this week. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, but all of my "warm weather clothes" are back at home. Ah, no matter, I still very much enjoy the warmth of the sun after a glorious Friday here at Luther College.

Today marks the day traditionally known as Halloween. But for the JV volleyball team, it means a trip to Waverly for an overnight before our conference tournament tomorrow. The only feeling that rivals this in my volleyball world would be the feeling of going to the State Tournament. This is a big deal, especially since we have a very good chance of winning this tournament! There is a ton of adrenaline coursing through my veins, and I haven't even left my dorm room yet!

Classes are just rounding off their midterms. After today's Spanish midterm, I have one Biology test next week and the third Paideia paper, which is very manageable, considering I plan on spending the rest of the weekend inside working on these two projects.

Major update: as of Monday, October 27, I have decided that I want to be an English professor. This is a big deal for me, because I have never really known what I wanted to do with my life, as far as careers go. But I have been enlightened, and English professor seems to be calling my name. Never has anything felt so right. So as I continue my search for J-term and Spring classes, I have a whole new realm to discover!

That's it on my end of the story. I hope you all have a wonderful Halloween, and a Happy All Soul's Day to you as well (if you're Catholic, anyway).

Always,
Allison

Allison's Life Lessons

Hi everybody. I've had quite a bit of time to think over Fall Break, and I've come up with a few life lessons.

Lesson 1) Pursuit Rule. This is our number one rule in volleyball and it basically involves giving all you've got going after every ball until the whistle blows. But this rule is applicable to everyday life as well. For instance, in piano. I thought I wouldn't like my professor very much because of the different teaching style he used compared to my old professor. But I stuck with it, and even though I complain about the tedious practice schedule, I find that I'm improving in "leaps and bounds."

Lesson 2) Live and Let Die (Part One). At some point in your life, you have to realize that you need to live your life for you and no one else. Certain friendships may falter, but in the end, you need to understand that trying to please everyone else is only hurting yourself in the long run. Take some well deserved you time and make yourself happy once in a while.

Lesson 3) Live and Let Dye (Part Two). Change is good. Drastic change, good every now and then. Smaller change, good almost all the time. For instance, dying one's hair is a good idea every now and then. So is going to Marty's or Oneota instead of the caf every day. Try something new, mix it up a bit, keep 'em guessing.

There you have it. Three life lessons from yours truly. Be on the lookout for more sporadically tossed in here.
Always,
Allison

Here's a quick run-down of this weeks blog: 1) major and organizations, 2) volleyball, 3) Fall Break!!!

1) Alright, so you know how they say people change majors an average of 5 times before finally settling? Well I'm only got four to go! I decided, for the moment, that biology isn't for me. Now I'm leaning towards writing and English, maybe playing around with marketing or being an art director for a magazine. Which is where organizations come in, because I'm now an official staff member of the Pioneer Yearbook! After being part of my high school yearbook for three years, and being editor senior year, I decided it was something I really love to do, and everyone is telling you to find what you're passionate about. Well, after much searching and wondering, it hit me that this is what I'm passionate about. Which is how it ties in with changing my major, since that is ALSO supposed to be a passion. But we'll see how this plays out. Be on the lookout for more major changing, cause I'm sure it'sa comin!

2) Ahh yes, the wonderful sport of volleyball. JV has two weeks left to play, and I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of excited for the end. Don't get me wrong, I love the sport and I love all the opportunities it's presented me with thus far. But at the same time, it's time for a break, and time to start really cracking down on schoolwork and making friends and reaping the college benefits, whatever they may be. I always enjoy things more after a break, so I think, come spring season, I will be back in full force!

3) How could I blog and NOT write about Fall Break? It's the first official break for Luther students, and for many, a welcome escape from the consistency of schoolwork. It turns out that many of my high school friends were home this weekend. So I pull into my driveway 8 pm Friday night, do my hair, and pull out again by 8:30 to meet some friends at Caribou Coffee. That is about how my weekend went, coming and going to fit in as much as possible. I also went back to my high school to talk to a few teachers and to hit up the volleyball practice. I love my old team, and was super pumped to have the opportunity to play with them one more time. Now let me tell you, you really appreciate home cookin after three months of the caf food. I'm not saying the food is bad; it's actually quite tasty. But there's nothin like mom's chicken and wild rice...

So there you have it, a quick run-down of my life over the past week. Keep it real!
Always,
Allison

I'm FALL-ing in love...

Whenever I'm asked what my favorite season is, I can never give the same answer twice. However, ask me now, and I'll tell you without hesitation, FALL! I'm beginning to see how truly beautiful this time of season is. In high school during this time of year, all I could think about was making it to the state volleyball tournament. Here at Luther, however, I find myself more and more praising God for the wondrous scenery. This past week has been the best by far. The trees are in the process of turning colors, with some trees already done, some right in the middle and others just beginning, so campus is the most beautiful array of colors I've seen. Walking from class to class now takes twice as long because I walk slower so a) I can take in the breath-taking view of the multicolored bluffs and b) I can kick the leaves around and make it sound like fall! Oh the joys of being outside. But it's been stunning around here this week, with blue skies and sunshine almost every day. I keep having to stop myself and ask if I'm really here, because it honestly seems like a scene from a movie every time I step outside.

But let's see, what have I been doing? Well, I got my second Paideia paper turned in, I got the results of my first biology test, and have been working on bacterial evolution in lab. I've also spent a large amount of time in the gym with volleyball practices, which is a very nice stress reliever after a long day of classes.

This weekend definitely made me feel like a typical college student. Friday night, Anna (yes, blogger Anna) and I walked downtown and stopped at a little store called Bookends and Beans. It's a cute little coffee shop/bookstore right on Water Street (which is the main street in Decorah). After browsing through the many books, I chose East of Eden off Anna's recommendation (I'm expecting big things!). Then we met some friends at Don Jose's, a local Mexican restaurant. It was super fun, just hanging out, being college students. Ended up across the hallway in a teammate's dorm after dinner and did homework until midnight, then hopped into bed. Woke up this morning and took a ROAD TRIP!!!!! Anna (again, yes, blogger Anna) and two friends and I drove to Forest City to watch our Norse football team take on the Waldorf Warriors...a two hour drive in the fall makes for lots of ooh's and ahh's when driving by all the bluffs...and of course Big Blue won, 31-0! GO NORSE!!!

And now, here I am, sitting "at home" on a Saturday night, desperately hoping the homework I have will just disappear. But alas, I know that if I want to have time to myself over fall break next week, I should do it tonight, along with a little extra so I'm actually ahead of schedule...we'll see how far that goes. Wish me luck!

Always,
Allison

Papers and movies and flamingoes, oh my!

This week has been thoroughly jam-packed! First there was the second Paideia paper, then there was the volleyball match, Friday movie night, and finally Saturday's Homecoming activities!

Just when I thought I could pat myself on the back for a job well done on my first college paper, the second one pops up right behind me and practically kicks me in the rear to get me going! This paper was, in my opinion, a bit more bland than the first one...we basically had to read the writings of Martin Luther and discuss his rationals and arguments and whatnot. But, I have to admit, it grew on me, and as I'm now in the final throes of this writing process, it's fun being able to write a paper that you're confident about and know that even though you hated the readings, you pushed through them and can even evaluate them.

A great week in terms of volleyball: JV won our match, with the last game being 15-0 (for those of you who don't understand volleyball, just know that the other team didn't score a single point, and that our entire team was jumping up and down for the rest of the evening because it was so awesome)! The rest of the week's practices were fun practices, because our coaches don't want us to forget why we're playing: for the love of the game and the bonds we've created on the team. It was a welcome change from some of the more intense practices we've been having.

Friday night found me with my roommates and one of my best friends here on campus chillin' at WalMart. It was homecoming weekend, so Decorah was full of alumni. We ditched plans to go to Mabes for that very reason, and went instead to this cute little place I'd found once with my mom. We ate a great dinner, did some necessary errands at WalMart (which never fails to eat up my money...) and ended up back in my dorm room watching a movie. It was a great Friday night, I don't think I've laughed that hard since I've been on campus!

Speaking of Homecoming weekend, Saturday was full of events of all shapes and sizes for students, both past and present, to enjoy. It started with the volleyball alumni game, and included lunch on the library lawn, the football game (which we won, thank you very much), two soccer games (which we also won), some fun alumni rugby games, and of course, the FLAMINGO BALL!!! It was a great chance to get all dolled up! Again, I went with Taylor and the roomies, and we had a great time! The band was great; they played those classic oldies that everyone knows and can sing to, such as RESPECT, some classic Jackson 5, and Love Shack, just to throw a few out there. All in all, it was a fantastic evening!

But alas, here we are, Sunday has once again jumped up on me. It always seems to come out of nowhere...and it never fails to find me with a nice pile of homework to keep me busy. But I think it's raining, and rain always seems to be in my favor, since it encourages me not to be outside, but to be inside actually being productive! Until next time, I'm

always Allison

Abby, Taylor, Emma and I before the dance

First come, first (or soft) serve!

Just when you think you're really into the swing of things, a whole new load of "firsts" show up! For me, these include my first concert, my first trip home, my first college test, and my first two weeks in the caf without ice cream.

The ice cream incident seems to happen every year without fail. This year, students were throwing ice cream at Ylvi (pronounced Ill-vee), one of the freshman dorms, on their way back from dinner. After posting a warning next to the ice cream machines, stating that if things didn't stop, the ice cream would be gone, one day the ice cream really WAS gone! It was a sad two weeks, for we had to rely on the caf for dessert, and if you didn't like it, well, sorry. But last Friday, they gloriously returned the beloved soft serve machines! In retrospect, I am probably better off without the ice cream, since I hear the freshman fifteen hangs out near there =), but sometimes after a long day, all you want is some ice cream!

My first test was in my Calc 2 class, which I have last in my day, and it was on a Friday. It was a little hard to concentrate, but for the most part, it was the same as in high school, except the problems were more difficult, obviously. And the teacher left the room! That was something I'd never experienced before. As part of the Honor Code at Luther, which is the basic rules of cheating and honor and honesty here, the teachers leave the room during tests. Needless to say, coming from high school, where the teachers practically hover over everyone, this was an interesting change.

Friday was also host to another first for me: my first concert! OK GO, which many of you know, you just don't realize it (think the treadmill video on YouTube), came to perform for us. They were really good, the concert was fun, and the people I was with were great! The opening band was great, too; they were a smaller band from Chicago called Company of Theives. Their lead singer has a very unique voice, and I really enjoyed their music. After about a 25 minute wait between the bands, OK GO finally took the stage and rocked out for just under 2 hours. They were great! They even came out into the crowd to do a few songs, something I hear not many bands do. They played their famous treadmill song (also known as Here It Goes Again), and donned these really cool jackets, each of the band members having a different letter of OK GO on the back, which were lights that flickered on and off. Not a bad first expereince, if you ask me!

There's no place like home. Woke up early Saturday, and after a nice drive, ended up in my driveway. There's no words to describe the wave of emotion I felt at being back home. Don't get me wrong, I love it at Luther, but sometimes, it's just nice to be back in your element. After a nice long weekend, which included a much needed Chipotle burrito and a trip to the shopping mall, I returned to school late Sunday evening. And the weirdest thing happened. I felt another surge of emotion. It felt so good to be back! Walking into my dorm room felt almost like walking into my house. It made me realize that Luther is becoming a second home to me.

Well, I've got another paper to write, along with a nice Spanish brochure to work on, so I will leave you with these words of wisdom: Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Always,
Allison

The hand is quicker than the eye

Typical Friday night at college: hanging out with new friends, going for a walk under the light of street lamps, being treated to your very own magic show? Yes, yes indeed, this is how this past Friday found me-sitting in a dorm room with some new friends, being entertained by Luther's very own freshman magician. Drew, as this "magic man" is called, wandered aimlessly into the dorm room, asking, "Hey, do you guys like magic?" Oh boy, what a great opening line! So we invited Drew in, and were privy to a great show, including, of course, "pick a card, any card." By the end of the night, I was living proof that the hand is, indeed, quicker than the eye.

Which brings us to family weekend. It seemed to sneak up on me, even though I had been counting the days for just over a week. It was wonderful to see everyone, especially my brother. After the initial euphoric feeling of seeing my family again, we made the long treck from the parking lot up four flights of stairs to my dorm room. We spent the rest of the day eating (NOT from the caf, thankfully), going to Dunning's Spring, and of course, the mandatory trip to WalMart. But the weekend seemed to slip through my fingers, as it so often does, and here we are, another Sunday night. So in this case, it wasn't the hand that was quicker than my eye, but time.

And here we are, a new week just beginning. And already my calendar is full to the brim. So I'm already anticipating another case of slight-of-hand in real-world form; time going by too fast. Until next time, take each moment as it comes.

Always, Allison

Just a rainy Saturday at Luther

Rain, rain, go away, come again another day. As most of you know, this is a common chant among young children. However, I welcome today's rain, because it will force me to stay inside and get ahead on my homework for the week. Right now, for example, I'm sitting in the library getting ready to start on a pre-lab assignment for my biology class. And it's all because of the rain. If it had been sunny out, I'm sure I would be sitting outside doing leisurely reading instead of sitting inside staring at a computer, trying to make graphs on Excel. So thank you rain, for being my motivation for today.

I woke up early this morning (yes, a college student awake before nine on a Saturday, what is this world coming to?) for a volleyball workout. We ended up running sprints inside on the track, which was much better than I anticipated. Who would have believed that I, Allison Croat, who never runs, who in fact hates running with a deep passion, would wake up early on a weekend to run? But it wasn't too bad. And afterwards, I ate breakfast with Liza, one of my teammates. And it also got me up early, which gives me more time for my homework. So I guess I owe thanks to exercise for motivating me as well.

This week seemed to fly by. Classes were kind of slow, but the week was speedy. Volleyball had our first conference game this week. The JV team managed to pull out a win over Loras, but the Varsity couldn't manage to do the same. It was a two hour bus ride, but that makes for good conversation. It was nice to talk with some of the upperclassman about things completely unrelated to volleyball.

Anyway, back to class, which is the main point of college, or so I hear. My Spanish class is really fun. The professor likes to have us sit in a circle and has us do some silly things to get our minds working, but it really helps. Like yesterday, we were working on commands, and she had us stand up. Then we threw a ball around and if you got the ball, you had to give a command (in Spanish, of course). The rest of the class had to act out the command until the next person gave a command. Let me assure you, thinking of a command in English is hard enough, then having to give it in Spanish...no piece of cake. But it was fun! We have our first official Paideia paper due this week. We read the play Antigone by Sophocles and have been discussing power and justice. It's been a fun class to be in. I had my first biology lab on Thursday. We went to Dunning's Spring and collected "microinvertebrates" (or small insects) from the water, then went back to the lab to analyze. For not liking bugs a whole lot, this lab wasn't too bad. And calculus is always a favorite of mine.

Been getting to know some of the other freshman on campus a bit more. There's still many unrecognizable faces, but there are also a few that I do know. It's kind of cool, to go from not knowing anyone to knowing a small amount of people. I can't wait until I can know even more!

That's all for now. I wish you all sunshine, unless you need to get something done, in which case, I'll send some of my rain your way!
Always,
Allison

Dance party anyone?

Half a week down, fourteen to go before Christmas! But only twelve days until family weekend!!! Yay! I'm very excited to see everyone, because talking on the phone is only good for so long...

Anyway, everything is going swimmingly here. This weekend, the freshman class participated in our service project, which consisted of digging through large piles of an old school building to find bricks that can be reused. In doing so, we became "a part of Decorah." It wasn't too bad, because we got to be outside, and there was music which called for a few random dance breaks :-)


Speaking of dancing, my roommates and I had a really fun dance party in our room on Saturday night. We turned out the lights, turned on the music, and grabbed some glow-sticks that one of my roomies had. We had a rip-roarin' good time. The roomies and I also got creative this weekend. We took a trip to WalMart and got ribbon, puff balls, neon paper and wooden cut out animals. Don't worry, there was a purpose to this craziness. We needed to spice up our door a bit. We got back and promptly dumped everything on Emma's bed. After a few trial and errors with glue sticks and push pins, we ended up with a pretty cool door.



That's about it for now. I'm sure that after a full week of class, I'll have more to write; however I might not have the time. But I'll be back, don't you worry.

Take care!
Allison

Excuse me, it's college, coming through!

I can't believe summer is over! I have my first official homework assignments already, and class hasn't even begun! Welcome to college.

I've been on campus now for two weeks. I play volleyball, so I moved in early to begin pre-season practices. The past two weeks has found me living and breathing the game, but I'm extremely glad to have had the opportunity to get to know campus these past few days. Plus, I've got a new family with the volleyball team; we're already pretty close with each other, which is awesome! It was also cool to be on campus with all the other athletes. I've met a lot of great people already. It was strange when my roommates moved in, because I went from being alone in a four person room, doing whatever whenever, to having three others living with me and having to think about what I was doing so I could minimize the distraction for them. It was a welcome change, though, because it can get pretty lonely every now and then. Living with three other girls, chances are there will always be someone in the room to talk with!

Our first Paideia class was yesterday. Paideia, for those of you who aren't familiar with this crazy term, is the required English class for all first year students. There are 18 kids in my class, which will make for good discussions, as we already seem to have different opinions about the summer reading we had to do. So there's where my first assignment came into play. The second is having to read the first chapter for my introductory biology class. I love biology, though, so the only problem is trying to open my extremely large book without hurting anyone :-)

I've become quite acquainted with the WalMart here in town, along with Mabe's pizza (get the regular original with extra cheese and dip it in ranch dressing. Trust me, it's awesome!) and the Whippy Dip (for those of you not accustomed to this Decorah trademark, think small town Dairy Queen). I've also come to love Dunning's Spring. It's the very picturesque spring coming down from the bluffs. The water is about 50 degrees, and makes for a nice ice bath when the ones in the training room are broken. I've also had an opportunity to go tubing on the Iowa River, which passes through Decorah. I would suggest to anyone and everyone that you try this at least once. Bring a cooler with some Gatorade or water, rent a tube, and hop in for a nice relaxing time. Bring some friends, too, as there are many opportune moments for a shared laugh.

Well, that's about all I have for now. I've been putting off my reading for long enough, so now it's time to be a good student. Oh, wouldn't my mother be proud! ;-) I wish all of you sunshine wherever you may be.


Peace and love,
Allison