Our Penn State

I do not see myself as the creative type, so coming up with something entertaining enough to write about for a couple months initially posed a challenge. But as I walked home in the rain after a long day today, I couldn’t help but look up at the sodden sky, enjoying the cold drops on an otherwise muggy start to the week. I snapped out of my grogginess and began brainstorming, even going so far as to resort to asking my private story on Snapchat for ideas. Approaching my dorm down in South with a less dejected aura, I noticed a sleek, grey squirrel racing by with what appeared to be a pizza crust in his mouth, likely from Canyon Pizza. My roommate and I excitedly watched the vivacious rodent dart off into the bushes with his prize in hand, joking that he was fueling for a night out. That’s when it clicked that this (imagine me gesturing around) is all connected. Penn State is more than just our school, it is our home. Not only that, it is the home we chose with a new family in the people that we engage and spend our time with. The biggest wake-up call for me that my new residence would be the change I needed to start fresh, was how gorgeous it was on the day I moved into my dorm. As evidenced in this image of the garden under the Millennium Science Complex by the Huck Life Sciences Building, the bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds contrasted perfectly against the green flora and red bricks. While some days, like today, can be a little rainy, most days are nearly as sunny as I was accustomed to in Hawaii. When I talk about my 2 years on Oahu, most people wonder how the hell I could even consider leaving, asking “What about paradise??” But I had my share of beaches, tropical weather, and island life during my time there. I can remember it whenever I’d like but dwelling on the past is what lets us get in our own heads. Now is the time for me to embrace my new home, and us our new home. WE ARE, after all. Going into the future of this blog, I’d love to incorporate as many aspects as I can of what makes our home and school great, which includes unique perspectives on what the various people here love so much about this place. Please feel free to recommend me topics of interest or cool locations or anything else you can come up with and think would be interesting to read about from someone else’s point of view! Some of my ideas for upcoming posts are covering some of the dining halls and lounges around campus, as well as extending the wildlife side of the blog. I mean, who wouldn’t want to see more bunnies, dogs, birds, and other fluffy creatures that you can’t help but want to pet anytime you see them?