Life Lessons from West Lafayette

Well, my darling little mother wanted me to start a blog, so here it is:

Life in a One Bedroom Apartment.

I'm new to this blogging thing (somehow my mom always seems to one-up me on the technology front), so we'll see how this goes. I have ventured off to Indiana to start a new chapter of my life; I'm living on my own, starting Grad School, and learning all about a new city. Here's what I have learned so far:

Indiana hates my hair. Really, the humidity here hates my hair.

Water boils faster than it did in Utah.

My skin does not adjust well to new places. Hello, Kelsie's zit face! I'll be looking stunning for my orientation week at Purdue!

The bugs here are big. There are also locusts that live everywhere. Now, I have not actually seen one of these little buggies, they hide very well, but you can hear them all the time. They lurk in the trees or the bushes or in the trailer court next door...who knows...

Command Strips don't adhere to the walls as well as they did in Utah. Again, I blame this on the humidity.

Nike shorts and tennis shoes seem to be the hip fashion here. And T-shirts. So, there's that...

Don't ever try to buy a used car in Lafayette. Seriously, the prices are ridiculous! I ended up leasing an adorable little Chevey Cruze (his name is Ishmael) instead of buying a used one. I feel safer with this decision, I won't have to worry about being stranded in a broken-down used car somewhere, but financially it is still more money than I would have preferred. Anyway, buy cars in Salt Lake, that's the lesson here!

There are a lot of cornfields. And soybean fields. And more cornfields.

There are so many windmills! And I love them! It is such a beautiful experience to drive right next to a massive windmill. It's the closest substitution that I've found to my mountains.

Drinks condensate WAY more. Seriously, I'm not sure if I'm suppose to take a sip of my drink or just lick the cup.

I'm really glad that I'm bendy. It seems to be a necessary skill when trying to shave your legs in a tiny shower.

I like living on my own, mostly because the clothing situation is negotiable. I enjoy walking around in my underwear. Clothes are overrated. Let's be naked.

The Orange Chicken at Panda Express tastes different. Also, McDonald's doesn't have the hot n' spicy chicken sandwich. Bummer...

I really like stained-glass windows. There are some gorgeous windows in the Union Building on campus.

If you get stranded in Michigan City there's a super random casino, The Blue Chip, that you can hang out in.

Chicago. Oh, Chicago! It's only two hours away and it is wonderful. I'll definitely be spending weekends there. I'm a city girl through and through.

I am amazing and strong and capable of brilliant things.

So here's to a grand new adventure! I can only begin to fathom all the things I will learn, the emotions I will experience, the people I will meet. I am so grateful for everyone that has helped me reach this moment, those whom have supported me, guided me, loved me, and befriended me. I take pieces of you with me. I hope to keep this blog updated with the stories of my life here, because so many of you have made this moment possible and I feel like you are a part of my journey!

All my love,
Kelsie