Welcome to Carolina: We Have Puppies

If you haven't been reading the Tar Heel Blog, you might want to start. It's a great way to get the current student perspective on everything Carolina – including puppies. Wait, who am I kidding?! Especially puppies!

Check out this recent Tar Heel Blog post by Ashley S.
 

So, to say I look happy in this picture would be considered an understatement, no? You see, this past couple of weeks have been crazy hectic and my idea of coping was watching Scrubs on Netflix until I understood medical lingo. Too bad I’m in Journalism. But I’m the kind of person that when I feel stressed, I need something that will make me happy and The Walking Dead only comes on once a week. But a fellow Tar Heel was carrying around Matilda (the adorable puppy in my arms) and allowed me to hold her.  Believe me when I say I never wanted to let go. (I’m pretty sure kidnapping a puppy is frowned upon in society.)  But you wanna know something even better than looking at a picture of me holding a puppy...


BAM! Our very own Ramses was out, sporting his spiffy suit, and can be seen holding little Matilda.

I wanted to share this experience with you because life at Carolina is made up of moments. I’m not trying to get philosophical on you (I haven’t taken that for my General Education requirements, you see) but it is true. But these little moments are what you will reflect back on after you’ve graduated from UNC and you’ve moved on to make your place in the world. I’ll never forget the puppy or the ram that put that smile on my face in the middle of midterms and meetings and work and cravings for Chipotle.

Sometimes, we get caught up in the big picture. Lately, I’ve been trying to balance obligations such as work, meetings, classes, deciding on housing, and other nonsense things that can really make you want to pull your hair out when you tend to over-analyze things like I do.  You have to learn to take a step back, and no one can really tell you how to do that. For me, I used to read. I don’t really have time to do that, so I had to find a work around. But to be with friends out on Polk Place, chilling with our school’s mascot and a puppy on a b-e-a-utiful, warm, still February Wednesday, gave me the boost I needed to turn the week around.  Everything just looks brighter when you do something that makes you smile.

And it has been busy for me. For those of you reading this that already know you’re coming to Carolina, I’m already excited to meet you at orientation this summer. In November (or was it December?) I found out I was going to be an Orientation Leader, working with first-year and transfer students. I was floored, honored, nervous, and excited.  Meeting you, whoever you are reading this, is all I’ve been thinking about since I applied in October (or was it September...?) However my sense of time is skewered, one thing I do know is that everything I do now is turning me into the person who will help you transition to UNC. No pressure or anything.

It’s strange. I’m a rising junior, already reflecting back on what it felt like to be in your shoes. It probably doesn’t help that Imagine Dragons' It’s Time is blasting through my headphones. Talk about a song that makes you feel nostalgic for the good ole days. I’m looking forward to study abroad, finding internships, and still craving Chipotle. Your time will fly while you’re here, that I can promise you. I didn’t believe it when I started here and yet, here I am telling you that that’s not the case at all.

Like I said: little moments. I have so many, I couldn’t possibly fit them all here. But those little moments are the ones I want to share with you (starting with Matilda because I just can’t resist that face), and I hope I get to do that with you this summer.

I hope you come to Carolina. I really do. Despite those moments where it feels overwhelming, I love being a Tar Heel because my campus knows how to brighten my day, whether it’s intentional or not.  I hope you have tons of questions about UNC, because I’m prepared to answer them all. So find me on Facebook or Twitter or shoot me an email (amspruil@live.unc.edu).

Hope to see you this summer!