A New Chapter

Beep beep! Beep beep! Beep beep!

I open my eyes to the same white popcorn ceiling. It's cold in the basement, so I'm buried in blankets. After a good second, I roll over to check my phone - it's 6:45 AM. I let out a groggy groan as I roll back into my blanket burrito. But I don't go back to sleep. At least, I try and keep my mind awake, because today's a big day.

Today is the day I move into the fresh dorms of UC Denver. Today is the day I move away from my hometown for the first time. Away from my friends, away from my family, away from my dogs. Today is the day I get to explore a new life ahead of me.

I lay in bed for another three minutes or so before I tell myself to get up. I'm excited but also nervous. I can already start to feel my chest beating a little faster than usual. I try and ignore the feeling so I can focus on getting ready. I do my usual morning routine - brush my teeth, take a shower, get my clothes on, etc. I go back to my room one last time, going through the list in my head to make sure I haven't forgotten anything. It helps knowing that I only live an hour away, knowing that if I did forget something, I can always run back home to grab it.

"Everything's packed, and I'm ready to go," I thought to myself. As I head up stair, I check my watch. It's only 7:30 AM. I have another hour to spare before we head out. It wasn't ideal timing, because that meant I had an hour to allow my mind to wander, which means digging myself into a hole of overthinking thoughts. I have anxiety, so that's always fun. As I was waiting for the time to come, I decided to spend whatever time I had with my dog who's a white Poodle Maltese. Her name is Piper, though I like to call her Hyper Piper, given her name is Piper and she's, well, hyper.

I check my watch again. 7:35 AM. 7:40 AM. 7:45 AM. 7:50 AM. I was getting anxious. Finally at 8:15, it was time to get in the car. Both my moms came and my sister. We stopped at Einstein Bagels to get breakfast. It was good up to moment I accidentally ran into something making me spill my drink. I would've been okay with this, but I wasn't in the best mood, given that my monthly body cycle started and I was already stressed for today. I try shaking it off but it wasn't the best way for me to start the day.

After we get settled in the car, I was able to brush off the rough start and relax as I put on my headphones. I close my eyes a couple of time clearing my head, if possible. The music of Hamilton, Disney, and other various music I had on my playlist helped keep my mind from wandering.

Finally around 9:55 AM, we arrive at UC Denver. My dream school. The school where I'm going to pursue in my dream career. The school where I'm going to find new doors to open and find new friends. The school where I get to start a new chapter in my life.