Nostalgia

Nostalgia is such an odd feeling. It's a bizarre combination of happiness that brings you to tears.. and leaves you feeling so empty that you will never know that exact feeling again. I have been feeling this way as my days in State College wind down.

Towards the end of my last semester I was too busy to notice that I might miss the place I have been living in for 4 years. And I didn't notice until it happened.... that I might grow out of the place too. Yes, we are known for our alumni here, that's for sure. But I slowly went from student, to alumni that wanted to stick around until she got her life together, to... why am I still here?

There are three things I will miss about State College. And you may be surprised the hear what they are.
1. Class. I love going to class. Oh yes, I said it. I love waking up in the morning, drinking my coffee and scampering off to class. Even if it was a mile walk to get there I loved every moment. Even if there was a blizzard and three feet of snow to get through (because State College is so not phased by snow that it never closes for anything. Even if the abominable snowman suddenly arose and started picking off students... I am convinced it would just put up a few warning fliers and continue class as scheduled). I love class so much that I hate things that get in the way of class. I love information so much that there are few things important enough to get in the way of it. This might mean my student life is not yet over and graduate school is not far in the future. But we will see..
2. Food. No secret to those who know me, I adore food. Eating food, trying food, remembering my favorite places to get food, pushing foods on other people, cooking food, trying to cook food I've eaten in restaurants. It's a good place for food up here. There's so many restaurants in such a small amount of space.. and dare I say it.. I may have been to every single one here.
3. Putting off adulthood. When you're in college everyone tells you to start acting like an adult.. but you have the option of just waving it away and telling it to remind you later. Like hitting the snooze button on your alarm. But once you're done.. no one feels bad for you anymore when you don't understand what you're paying for.. how you're paying for it.. why you don't have the money right now. It's like a magic button gets switched from patience/sympathy to you've had your chance/impatience/just figure it out already. Being 20 something is this phenomena that forces you to behave like you are a capable person that knows what they're doing... while everyone treats you as though you are not capable of very much. You're just a kid... unless it means you owe someone money.

And of course... while there are many things I will miss about this town.. there are a few things I will not miss as well.
1. Some drunk idiot breaking the window in my hallway every weekend. Okay we get it. Your parents never let you stay out passed 8 pm and you have never seen alcohol before and there weren't many people trying to stop you from guzzling it down like you would water in a hot dessert.... but stop breaking my window.. stop throwing beer cans in the stairs.. stop peeing in the elevator... on the carpet... stop throwing up on the sidewalk... get a freaking grip on your life. Yes I may sound 80 years old... but I really just have very little sympathy for freshmen that trust anyone who says "Here drink this."
2. Football. I'm sorry. I don't care about football. I know. It makes me a bad Penn Stater. I just don't care. Esspecially when people flood the town and I can't even buy a sandwich without waiting an hour in line. Which goes back to my love of food.
3. People who talk in class. Don't mess with my food. Don't mess with my class. And who are your parents that you think you can talk in class when you're 18..19..20... and so on... years old??? I think that the generation below mine is getting younger and younger....

And that is all for now. Bon Voyage Happy Valley. And as a tribute to my experience at Penn State.. I plan on writing an entry on the foods of Happy Valley sometime in the near future (pending unemployment that is...). It's only fair to dedicate a post to what I loved most... about this town.