Always a Jersey Girl at Heart: "Home" Away From Home

This weekend the bf and I went back to visit Bucknell for Family Weekend since it is my little brother's senior year and the last Family Weekend that we will be able to attend out there (unless of course our own kids go there, which is definitely a possibility). Going back to Bucknell is always an amazing time for me because it really is my "home" away from home. Bucknell was the first place I really felt like I belonged. Every time I go back I get all nostalgic about the days when I was there and it's crazy to think about how my life has changed since graduating going on 4 years ago.

I remember my first day moving in to Bucknell. I was really nervous to be moving away from home and to be sharing my room with someone for the first time. Thankfully my roomie ended up being really cool and I had a great freshman year living with her.

Roomie and I on our very FIRST day at Bucknell

That first year was a ton of fun... well minus the whole emergency alcohol thing. I made a lot of amazing friends... dated a couple of different guys... and started on a journey that would shape who I have become today. Freshman year when when I really decided that I wanted to be a lawyer after taking an intense international law class with a professor I couldn't stand (On an interesting side note, the same casebook I used my freshman year of Bucknell was the same casebook, albeit a later edition, that I used for international law during my 2nd year of law school). That class helped solidify my idea that I wanted to be a Spanish major and that I wanted to be a lawyer. I always thought I would do international law (in fact I even said that I wanted to practice international law on my law school application)... sure that changed, but the fact that I went to law school because of events during my freshman year at Bucknell didn't.

My Freshman Hall

Sue, Natalie and I before a beach themed party

Sophomore year at Bucknell was quite a challenge for me. Although it was amazing because I joined Chi Omega and met some of the most amazing girls EVER it was still a really tough year for me. A man who was like a 2nd father to me died and my boyfriend at the time was so obsessed with his fraternity that he chose to do stuff with the guys there (i.e. watch a baseball game or football game) instead of helping me when I was devastated. Not too much longer we ended up breaking up and again I was devastated. This guy was not only my boyfriend, but he was one of my best friends in the entire world. We had known each other forever... literally. We had gone to the same church together and had in a way grown up together. His mom was (& still is) like another mom to me... at times I felt like she was there for me more than my own mother was. After we broke up he started dating one of my friends/sorority sisters and that ended up being the end of not only my friendship with him, but also my friendship with her. Definitely stinks to lose two friends as well as someone who was like a dad to me. Sophomore year I was also an RA my first semester and had probably the world's worst hall EVER. They were so poorly behaved that I ended up having to quit that. The fact that my hall was so poorly behaved wasn't the only reason I quit, I also developed a bleeding stomach ulcer during that semester. Overall it was just a rough year that I wasn't quite sure that I would recover from... but don't worry, I did!

Some of my favorite Chi Omegas before Midnight Mania

Celebrating Val's Bday at Arizona's (so sad it isn't there anymore :()

This is boyfriend eating Ramen Noodles the night I met him... maybe one day I'll share this story because well it's amazing that after this first night he ever wanted to date me.

Spring Break Soph Year in Ft. Lauderdale... this vaca helped me sooooo much!

Vedder 4SW (My Hall from when I was RA) minus the football players

Junior year was probably my favorite year at Bucknell because it included my semester abroad in Spain. I don't remember too much about the Fall semester... probably because I spent a lot of it arguing with my parents about whether or not I was going to go abroad, and then finally agreeing to go abroad after they bribed me with a car. Junior year included another boyfriend... this one was actually a carry over from sophomore year and one that my parents HATED. Somehow I managed to date this guy for over a year until we broke up while I was studying abroad (ask me sometime why we broke up... it's actually a kind of hilarious story, but I'm not sure I should post it here on the off chance that he somehow manages to find this). Had a lot of fun nights out with the Chi Omegas... gained a little sister (little #1)... and overall had a really good time. Then obviously in the Spring semester I went to Spain and that was the BEST time of my life. Seriously, nothing can compare to the time I spent abroad in Spain.... I really don't think that anything in my life has been more amazing than the almost 6 months I spent over there.

Big & I at some sort of mixer with Chi Phi (I think based on looking at other pics from this night)

After the Bucknell v. Nova basketball game

Twin, Big & I during Big's Dirt Poem

Roomie & I out in Granada

La Alhambra... one of my fav places on earth

La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

Got to visit 2 of my favorite guys in the world in Luton

Going out in Italia during Spring Break (right after I broke up with my bf... fyi, Italia = perfect place to get over an ex)

Of course I went to Paris as well!

Bucknell en Espana... the whole group

Beautiful View of Nerja

After an amazing semester in Spain it was back to Bucknell for one final semester. That final semester was rough... first off because I had a hard time adjusting to being back at Bucknell and then it was rough leaving because I met boyfriend and then had to go an graduate before we had even been dating a month. Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if I hadn't graduated early, but in retrospect I'm glad that I did it because well it gave me the opportunity to work some before leaving for law school.

Boyfriend & I before we started dating... note that I'm wearing the sweatshirt I ALWAYS stole from him

Celebrating my 22nd Birthday back in NJ

Jersey Bff... Miss this chica sooooo much!

Me & Little #2

Me & Little #1

Best Friends since Freshman Year :)

Angels @ the Townie T over Homecoming

Cell Phone Pic of Boyfriend & I

Since graduating I have gone back to Bucknell I can't tell you how many times. It helps that I had a little brother who started the year after I graduated... but I think I would have gone back anyway. Sorry for such a long post, I'll stop writing now, but I'll leave you with a few post-graduation pictures from Bucknell.