College has been quite the adventure so far. Besides the fact that I sometimes still feel like an 8th grade girl trying to make friends (ironically) at a non christian summer camp. (If you didn’t catch this the first time around, that last sentence was ironic because I go to a catholic college. It’s also slightly confusing because I’m not catholic… I’m just as confused right now as you are, so just try to keep up with me! sorry!)
College has been quite the adventure so far. Besides the fact that I sometimes still feel like an 8th grader trying to make friends at a non christian summer camp, I think I’m finally starting to get things down. I’ve figured out my schedule (including where all of the buildings are which was one of the hardest parts!), and I’m continuing to make more friends! The FLPers truly are the best thing that has happened to me so far here at Creighton! Each one of these people has such a vibrant and energetic personality which keeps our floor constantly busy with something, which has been vital for the first few days here as I still try to figure it all out.
Here in FLP, we have groups of six that we call our “families”. Mine is obviously the best (shout out to the Jamaican kiwis!). Along with the six students in each group, we are assigned two mentors (mom and dad) who are sophomores that participated in the Freshman Leadership Program last year. We are committed to doing service at least once a week with our families, but there are plenty of other service projects to get involved in around campus! My family goes to a kids club every week to tutor, play with, and simply be there for the kids! I’m beyond excited to go experience this for the first time this upcoming week! I’m praying that Jesus really prepares my family for these kids, and these kids for us!
The “Skutt Shutdown” (activity involvement fair) was just last night and it was such a blast of pure energy and happiness. I sang a karaoke duet to “Summer Lovin’” from Grease with my dear friend Ashley, and I signed up for around 12 activities too many, (SINCE WHEN DOES CREIGHTON HAVE A RADIO?! OMG!) but thats okay! Because at least I’m going to find something that will work with my schedule and interests!
Even though I am making some stunning friendships here so far, I am missing my high school friends so very dearly! With all of them either in western nebraska, or iowa, and Caitlin being in Paris (I still hate you for that) it’s a lot harder than I expected! There was a night last week where this “home-sick” feeling hit me really hard. I sat there trying to figure out why I was feeling homesick. I was still living in Omaha, so it wasn’t the distance (although I feel farther from home than I ever have before), and I had just seen my parents when this feeling swept over me, so I knew it wasn’t because I was wanting to see them, but I couldn’t figure it out. Suddenly, almost out of the blue, it hit me; there wasn’t the same feeling of love here on campus among my peers that there was back at Westwood, Millard North, or the Tauber home. There was no one that I could just walk up and hug without it being completely bizarre. I realized that I couldn’t just walk up to someone and say “I love you,” and expect to get the same response back. I started to worry about stupid things and I started to wonder what I was even doing here.
One of my friends is taking a gap year to travel around the world doing mission work and she won’t be able to see her family for nine months. Why am I feeling homesick when she’s going to be on the other side of the world for nine months without a single visit and I’m right down the street? I didn’t understand it, and I never tried to understand it. All I knew is that I wanted this feeling to go away. I have been surrounded by love and support from so many different people so far, and for that I am incredibly thankful! I have to believe that Creighton is where I belong and it is a part of this giant plan that God has for me. I have to believe that that exists.
Just yesterday my friend and I were talking about majors. We both came into college with a plan, a map of how everything was going to work out. It’s week three and that plan has already significantly changed. I had always loved the idea of being a journalist, but I think I’m slowly finding out that is the only piece of it that I fell in love with… just the idea. I love traveling and if I could just travel and sight see as my job, I would do anything for that! But, that’s not how the world works. So, I have to find a new dream and do everything I can to get it.
I'm going to do my best to continue to post here as regularly as I can but who knows with my crazy schedule! Thanks for taking the time to read this!
God Bless!
Kailyn
