Moving in is a notoriously ghastly affair. And you would think that 10,000 people navigating somewhat unfamiliar terrain, with cars stacked to their brim would constitute total chaos. Someway, however, Ohio State has managed to administrate a day of seamless traffic, and an easy release.
I’ve done this a few times by now. I know the ropes. But with help from OWLs (Ohio State Welcome Leaders) and the other hundred volunteers makes things unbelievably less stressful.
Move in day is a fine tuned operation. Color-coded signs (am I orange or am I yellow,) traffic directors (but I thought my dorm was that way,) and snacks while you wait (mmmm, muffins) make the sometimes-intimidating experience a little less overwhelming. And someone else volunteers to unload your things. Sheer bliss.
So, the rain was a bit of a challenge. An OWL told me it was steady the entire day. However, that didn’t stop a single volunteer from being completely helpful and accommodating. Ever-sustained smiles, masked by iridescent ponchos still happily guided my mom into the parking space (She’s not great with backing into a spot.)
The first time I moved into the dorm we left my house at about six in the morning. The drive is only about two and a half hours, so that put us there at 8:30. I was nearly the first person in line, but the going was slow in the morning—everyone still getting out the yawns, and maybe neglecting their morning coffee. This year I arrived at about 2:00, and power-walked through lines, managing to suffer the rain for ten minutes, max.
The day is always a little nostalgic. Mom never wants to see me go. But after trips to Target, Staples, Radio Shack (all to find an Ethernet cord and tv cable) and big hugs, she’s off and so am I. The rest of the day and into the night was spent arranging by room and catching up with old friends and new.