It’s common when entering a town to see a sign with the town name on it.  Iowa City is not different.  When traveling south on Dubuque there is a sign on the right that says Iowa City in big black letters.  The letters are attached to a big boulder near the side of the road.  The fascinating thing about this sign is that every weekend multiple letters are missing from the sign.  Whenever I drive past the sign on Mondays I see signs that say OWA ITY, IOW CIT, OW IT, and countless other combinations.  The ironic thing is in the middle of the week the city puts new letters on the sign.  It’s an entertaining aspect of living in Iowa City.  I find it funny that every week letters go missing and a few days later the city will put them back, knowing that in a few days more will go missing.  While driving into campus today I was wondering what the sign would say today.  I looked over to the right and the boulder was completely blank.  I figured since it was finals week that whoever takes the letters off decided to go all out before heading home for the summer.  So while walking around campus, get to know your surroundings.  It’s a fun and relaxed community.  So enjoy and take in the entire experience.  You never know what you might find.

First of all let me bring you up to date.  Last Sunday I was able to switch rooms within my building, and I have a new roommate.  She is really sweet and we are getting along very well.  She’s from New Orleans and she loves to cook.  I’m excited to eat some homemade southern-style food this semester.  So during the week it was business as usual.  I had readings, lectures, tests, quizzes etc.  Thankfully, Friday night was my first night that week to actually go out and have some fun.  A friend and I ate at Pancheros and then headed to the IMU for the CAB comedian Jamie Kennedy.  He was really funny and my friend and I both had a good night.

The next day I had to wake up pretty early for my first day at work.  I work for Hancher and our show that day was in Hancher green so I didn’t have to walk very far in the rain.  I got there and everyone was quiet.  It’s not natural to be talkative so early in the morning.  So the trucks got positioned and we started unloading all of the equipment.  We set up the stage and put up the tents that would be used by the performers.  My shift was almost over when something painful occurred.  I was pushing in the still tabs to set up the railings for the stairs when the pole slipped and caught my finger.  I looked down at my finger and all I saw was blood rushing out of a gash where my skin used to be.  One of the production managers took me inside and one of my fellow stagehands medicated and wrapped my finger.  I almost passed out and had to sit down for a few minutes.  I have never cut my finger like that before, and all I could think about was how this was my first time trying to take care of a serious wound without the help of my mom.  I walked back to my place and took a couple of Tylenol.  Unfortunately I only had band-aids, but luckily my roommate had a first aid kit with all of the essentials that I would need.  As I am writing this my finger is wrapped, but the redness is less and the bleeding has stopped.  Hopefully the rest of my college experience will involve less blood and pain.

The end of the second week.  Wow it’s moving a lot quicker and the homework is starting to pile up.  Thankfully it’s Labor Day Weekend and the first football game of the season is this Saturday.  Woohoo!!!

So as I have mentioned before, it’s a necessity to bring your bicycle.  I must warn you that this campus is filled with MONSTROUS hills.  Today while heading back to my place, I conquered my huge hill.  Now I must admit that this summer I was pretty lazy, so I am not in the best of shape, but this hill is a monster.  It just…..keeps…..going.  So I am pedaling back from class, trying to keep steady and not wasting all my energy.  I’m pedaling and pedaling, psyching myself up.  I see the hill in my distance.  I coast down a hill by the bridge and try and keep up my stamina.  I make it to my hill and  pedal like my life depends upon it.  By the middle I am struggling, but I am determined not to give up.  A lady near by weed-wacking has stopped and is watching me with utter amusement.  As I pass her I almost tip over.  A guy listening to his Ipod across the street is trying not to make it obvious that he is laughing at me.  I ignore and just keep pedaling.  I make it to the top and a feeling of accomplishment comes over me.  I look at my apartment building and I notice another hill.  So I take a deep breath, sorta, and keep on pedaling.  I make the hill, park my bike, open my apartment building, and……it occurs to me that after my journey I have two flights of stairs before I can crash in my apartment.  So I take a deep breath and start climbing.  I open my apartment and crash on the floor.

Campus is wonderful and I wouldn’t want to be getting my education anywhere else, but if you plan on coming here prepare yourself.  Go for walks and bike rides daily over the summer.  One thing to look forward to is sledding down these MONSTROUS hills during the winter months.

See you on the trails 🙂

So yesterday I decided to to check out the Cambus system.  I had a break in between my classes, so I hopped on one of the buses and rode it around to see where it went.  Here a few words of wisdom:  If you get cold easily, be prepared.  The Cambus buses are extremely cold, but it is a nice break from the humid day.  You don’t need you ID or anything to get on.  Most routes take you completely around campus so if you feel like you need to, check out the routes online or at each bus stop, there are signs saying which buses come to that particular bus stop and the times that they usually come around.  The buses aren’t usually that crowded except for around 3:30-4:00 p.m.  Since I live in Parklawn, Cambus has been very helpful in getting me back near my apartment.  Also, the wait for the bus usually doesn’t take very long — maybe about 5-10 minutes.  I highly suggest that if you are planning on using the Cambus system, have your routes pretty much figured out before winter weather arrives.  If you aren’t from Iowa, you are in for a rude awakening when November and December come around.