Learn More, See More, B'more

Wow! This has been one crazy week. A lot of things have happened, and it has all worked out to be one of the greatest times I've ever had. For starters, I got my Eagle Scout this week, woohoo! It was a lot of hard work, but I definitely learned so much and gained abundant people skills from having to do this project. I mean, I had to get TWO whole permits processed with the DOTD; if that doesn't deserve a medal, I don't know what does.
I've also spent a good amount of time packing for college. My room looks different, but not near as much as I imagined it would. I didn't bring much more than clothes, a dozen novels, and some mementos I've collected from friends. I feel like this will be a chance for me to start with a clean slate. Unfortunately, I forgot my toothbrush, so the slate's one of the few things that will be clean.
The hardest part of this week has been making my farewells. I am moving away from family and friends and a lot of people who care about me and help me out, and I'm sure I'll realize very soon that they helped out a lot more than I thought. Getting to spend time with these people this past week has really helped me to appreciate them more, though, and I know our friendships will stay strong.

Now, to the exciting part you've all been waiting for! My journey to Baltimore. 
Thursday night, Elliott and I watched Fright Night so we could see David Tennant. He was amazing, per usual (and while this wasn't really part of my quest, I felt it was worth mentioning). Friday morning, we packed up the car and my family drove me to the airport to see me off. It was during that car ride that it really hit me that I was going to be moving 1100 miles away and living on my own. 
After saying my final goodbyes to my family and one of my best friends, I boarded the plane headed for Houston. I successfully navigated the large airport and made it to my terminal, where I then hopped on my flight to Baltimore. From there, I took a shuttle to the Amtrak station, where I bought my MARC train ticket to get me to Penn station - or so I thought. The attendant at the ticket counter had given me a ticket to Union station, in Washington D.C. By the time I realized the mistake, I was already well on my way to the Capitol. Upon arriving, I bought the correct ticket and got back on the train. My 20 minute train ride quickly stretched into almost two hours of travel time. During my detour, I got to see a lot of the state and surrounding area, and I met a really cool scientist who had worked at the Johns Hopkins applied physics Lab in D.C. I definitely don't regret getting on the wrong train, and I plan on doing it much more often.

I finally arrived on campus just in time to join in on some ice breaker activities with the roughly 25 people doing the Habitat for Humanity Pre-orientation with me. Even just sitting on The Beach (the main green) with my new-found friends, I really started to feel like this could be my home for the next four years. This year, my freshman year, is going to be the best, and I look forward to all that I'll learn, all that I'll see, and all that I'll be.