My expectations and my experiences Ole Miss by Elea Ortega

Everything started on May 29th,2010, it was a saturday. Early in the morning, it was 4:15am. I was at the Tocumen Airport, that's the name of the international airport in Panama city. Full of nervousness and sadness, I was about to leave my country for a year, and not only my country, I was about to leave my heart, my family, my friend, my home. Saying bye it's always hard, but sometimes we have to do it, to make our dreams or goals come true.

I have always loved the United States or let's say the pop culture. I have always had this perception of "the perfect world" or life in here. I have always loved the music, pop or rock from the U.S. When I found out that I was elected to study in the United States for a year, I was really happy and thrilled. I didn't know where I was going to be sent but, all that matters was that I was going to the United States of America "the perfect world", at the same time I just got sad, because I was going to leave my mother and all my family for a year. That it's a lot for me, because I have been always so closed with my mom and we do everything together. I have had vacations away from her, but only for a month, so this was going to be a big deal, as you can call it like that, but I didn't cry, I was just thinking, thinking and thinking. What I was thinking? "Oh my Gosh, I'm going to the United States for a year, not for vacations, I'm going to have the privilege to be in a University of the U.S. am I going to meet a lot of people? Dear Lord, of course! It's going to be insane! How would it be? the studying part? how will teacher be? strict? mean? good people? I mean nice, friendly?." And the most important thing the "people" is it true what they put in the movies? groups such as popular? nerds or losers? hot guys only with hot girls and people behaving crazy all the time partying, if I want to socialize with people, am I going to have the time to study hard? Because I want to meet people, a lot of people, that's what I love the most, but, I'm going to the U.S. to study and be a great ambassador of my country Panamá.

When I found out that I was going to the University of Mississippi,

I had no idea of how it was going to be, it was going to be my first time at the south.

I left Panama in the morning around 8:30 or 9:00 and landed in Atlanta at 12:45pm, my next flight was at 5:15pm to Memphis, Tennessee. I had to wait hours and hours at the Atlanta airport. Time passed, 5:15pm arrived and I was in my second and last flight of the day. When I arrived to Memphis, Tennessee, there was a guy waiting for me with a sign that said "University of Mississippi" I introduced myself and started talking about How was been my day flying, we waited for my suitcase and then when we got my suitcase, we were ready to go to the place that it was going to be my second home. It was around one hour and a half to get to the University of Mississippi. Talking about my country, culture, food, language; I didn't felt the hour; I was excited, I had no idea of how was going to be my place.

Finally we arrived to Stewart Hall;

looking good the building, I was excited. Sherrie Jenkins, the girl that is en-charged of the international students, was waiting for me outside of Stewart Hall, next to her car. Then the driver give me my suitcase and then left, I have never seen him again. We entered to stewart hall and I got my keys, then we walked through a short hall and then we got to the "elevator".

The elevator was totally

what I didn't expected. It was creepy and terrifying, the white doors of the elevator opened slowly and creepy then I got in with Sherrie and "Oh my God" the elevator was even creepier inside, brown walls and the numbers that show in what floor you were, it was one still, the second floor the light didn't work and the third floor the light was flashing, the four was okay, and then the fifth that was my floor was normal. The elevator moved so much, and when it stops, it was like jumping. With that first impression of the elevator, I was terrifying of using that thing again, so I was already thinking that I was going to lose weight there, with the stairs. For some part, that was going to be a good thing.

Then we walked through the hall of the fifth floor to the last bedroom to the left #532.

We got into the bedroom and well, it was an empty space, two 3/4 beds and 2 desks four walls with oil paint. Then Sherrie asked me If I had brought bedroom sheets or soap? I told her " No I didn't bring anything". I didn't bring anything, because the people in Panama from the U.S. embassy told me that they were going to give all that stuff, I immediately thought. Then she told me that she was going to take me to wall mart to buy some things. We went, and then when we got back to stewart hall she told me if you need anything just call me okay, and then she left. I was totally alone in that room, it was so empty that I could even hear every single footstep that I did around the room. I made my bed and went to sleep.

Days passed and at the beginning I always find the campus so big but then 2 weeks early I found out that the campus was really little. I met new people everyday, I really liked that.

Anyway my classes were great, my professors too, they were so nice and friendly, I get used to the creepy elevator. Every single human get used to things and I can adapt myself to new things very easy, June, July then vacations to Chicago, three weeks.

I got back from Chicago, the 22nd August, classes start the 23rd. so I was okay. I found out that they moved me to another place called "campus walk" . When I got there "it was a dreamed place" it was amazing. I really loved to be here, everything is perfect now, and my experiences are more and more every single day that passed, I'm so thankful to God for this amazing life that he had give me.