Hey all,

Here's the update:

Our orientation for GRS took place two weekends ago at Dartmouth, where we all stayed for 3 days and participated in some pretty interesting get-to-know-each-other drills. For instance, the first night we were standing in a circle in a dorm lounge and given an animal to act out. One other person was given the same animal. We were told to get on all fours, close our eyes, and make the sounds of our respective animals in order to find our partner. It was interesting (I was a dog).

It was a huge relief to finally put faces to names I had only seen in group emails since March. We are a group of 26, all very different and interesting people. Most, but not all, play or played soccer and everyone was really excited about our upcoming year.

I personally got a bit overwhelmed that weekend. It finally hit me in full what I'm about to do, and I remember feeling pretty anxious and out of my skin while I was there. I'm hoping that was my mini freak-out moment and I'll be able to adjust more quickly once I'm there.

The week before and after orientation were spent at Colby working at the soccer camp Mark Serdjenian runs each year. It was a total blast and just what I needed to keep my head clear and not spend my time worrying about packing and leaving -- that's reserved for this week. We spent most of the two weeks laughing, and continued the party through last weekend when a group of us went to Gillette to see A.C. and Inter Milan play. The players were less than impressive...I guess I can't blame them seeing as the stadium was half empty and dead quiet, but it was definitely an adventure. Later that night were played soccer volleyball (a favorite at camp) and I ended up catching my small toe on the turf. I'm going to the doctor today, but I'm pretty sure it's broken where there's a little hard bump sticking out of my skin.

All in all, it's been a great couple months since graduation and I'm ready to get going. I have a lot to do in the next three days and I'm trying to remember to breathe. The advice I get most frequently is "Everything they tell you about what it's like, what to expect, don't believe it." So I'm trying to do that, and just make sure I bring enough to wear.

-Rosie