First Day Jitters

Ah the first day of school. I can already smell the sweet? scent of notebooks and used textbooks and hear the disgruntled student's complaints about the price of books this year...

Why is it that the first day of school is such a big deal? 

Is it really a big deal? Or did our parents just make it out to be a big deal because they could finally get some peace and quiet? 

Think about it... The ordeal of the backpack and the school supplies and the awkward yet somehow still adorable pictures of you holding up the number of fingers synonymous to your grade...(they were somehow slightly less adorable during upper middle school days)

To this day, a second semester junior in college, I get pre-first day jitters. I find myself asking the same questions I asked way back when...

"What should I wear?" "What time do I have to get up?" "I wonder who is going to be in my classes." "Where are my classes?" 

I could never sleep the night before the first day of school. 

No matter how hard I tried or how sleepy I thought I was, in the amount of time it took to turn out the lights and rest my head on my pillow, my eyes woke up, I swallowed 14 butterflies and (according to my heart rate) I ran a half marathon. 

And I know, even though I'm 21, tonight will be no exception. 

The only thing that's changed is that mom isn't here to gently wake me up, fix a hearty breakfast and tell me to have a good day. 

Instead I will receive an overly upbeat, but appreciated text message from both my parents and perhaps my sister...which in turn will only make me miss them more. 

Oh the things we learn to miss...

My dad always told us every morning before every day of school: 

"Do good. Do your best." 

And that's precisely what I plan to do. 

-Lo.