Back to School

It is that time of year again. The time of year where the song "Back to School" from Grease plays over and over again in my head. This could quite possibly be my favorite time of year. A new school year symbolizes a new beginning, a chance to start over, a chance to get it right. With a new beginning comes new clothes, new school supplies, etc. In the movie "You've got mail" Meg Ryan talks about sending a bouquet of sharpened pencils...that pretty much sums it up for me. While I go back to school every year...technically...Seth is headed back to graduate school.

I snapped the picture above on our way to campus wide orientation. Campus wide orientation was a little boring...but we got a free t-shirt. Today Seth had department orientation and as he walked out the door this morning I asked to take his picture again...he laughed and continued walking out the door. I don't think he is used to someone documenting every moment of his life. I told him that his family is probably grateful for me because they finally know what is going on in his life.

I remember as I was starting graduate school I said to my dad "I just wish these next two years will go by really fast." My dad wisely looked at me and said "Suzanne, don't wish your life away, enjoy every moment of it." Well that is exactly what I plan to do while Seth is in graduate school. I plan to enjoy every moment...or at least try to enjoy every moment in the next two years. South Carolina is absolutely beautiful...it is hot...but absolutely beautiful. The people here are friendly and very religious. I have never heard "amen" or "praise the lord" so much in my life. History is thick here...everywhere you turn there is a historical marker. We have a lot to learn and a lot of places to visit. I just hope we can get to it all.



Here are a few of the fun facts we have learned so far.

• State Motto: "While I breathe I hope"
• State Tree: Sabal Palmetto
  
• State Fruit: Peach
  
• Wikipedia told me that "It has been a Clemson tradition dating from September 24, 1977 for Clemson fans to spend two dollar bills on away game trips. This began when Clemson played Georgia Tech "for the last time" as Tech refused to travel to Clemson. Of the seventeen games played between Tech and Clemson between 1953 and 1977, only once, in 1974, did the Yellow Jackets deign to come to Death Valley. To show the Atlanta business community how much money Clemson fans contributed to the local economy which would not be coming to town anymore, Tiger fans spent vast quantities of two dollar bills, many of them stamped with Tiger Paws. This was the start of Clemson's two dollar bill tradition, which was very popular in the 1980s and 1990s, but has waned since then."
• The official uniform for the other students in Seth's department appears to be a polo shirt, khaki shorts, and loafers.
• The official uniforms for all of the undergrad co-eds appears to be short athletic shorts all of the same style and tank tops.
  
• Everyone wears orange on campus...okay not everyone but there is a lot of orange.