And now I know why...

If you would have asked my in the summer of 2000, where I was going to college, I would have replied with a plethora of random colleges I was "looking at", but known in my heart that FGCU (the 4 year college which had just openned in Fort Myers) was for me. My wise mother must have sensed that, as she forced me to apply to at least one; UCF. In October of 2000, I reluctantly filled out the paper (incompletely at that) and my mom took me to the campus for a tour. I was dazzled by the sheer beauty of the campus; the newness, the trees, the organization, etc. Our tour guide kept stressing how we had the best on campus housing in the state, being newer that FSU and UF, and that instead of dorms (which by definition have a community bathroom down the hall from where you rest your head each night) and UCF had Resident Halls (no community bathrooms but bathrooms in between 2 rooms that housed a max of 2 residents per room). Common decency had me sold as I did not yet A) believe that I was not going to FGCU still B) I didn't have a major and did not have to share a bathroom with 50 other girls (modesty) and the campus was pretty.

It is 35 or less degrees and breezy outside right now. Some might ask, "Is that what the thermometer said?" No... that's what the brisk breeze that just flew up my shorten robe just informed me as I walked across the courtyard to go to shower.... Being that I have personal space/territorial issues (no better than an animal am I?) sharing a shower is an adventure each time I do it and I [ray as I near the bathroom door that one of the 2 WORKING showers is not occupied at 5:30 am. Needless to say I do not shower every day and happen to be fortunate enough to have my parents house a close distance away and vacant of renters for the next few weeks.

In your room, you already have your "shower gear" stowed away in a place near your towel, flip flops, and, in my case, my robe mom and dad brought up last week. To shower effectively, I have discovered through a lot of trial and error, you must first strip down to nothing but that teeny robe, slip on your flops, grab your gear, and pray that once you get there the showers are unoccupied and its not too cold out...

Down the hall, open the door to the pod and "WHOOSH' a cold gust of air takes your breathe away. You mutter to yourself " I love UCF" and progress toward the main pod. Although only a few steps away, it feels like a lifetime. You are there, in the shower area, YES! one of the 2 showers has your name all over it. It is a tiny little thing; hardly enough room to move and built in an age where people were shorter and not obese. Pratically impossible to shave your legs in their and later in the summer I am going to have to figure something out in my room to accomplish this feat. Till then, thank God for mom and dad's house.

The shower is pleasantly hot, and the pressure is good, therefore not all is lost. You actually almost forget the trek and prep for coming over here when, DAMN it's time to go back. Now you do everything in reverse as before, except this time, when you cross the courtyard, you are wet.... WHOOSH