Back to School

Yesterday was not my first day of class, but it was my first time walking through the University of Alberta campus for orientation. Orientation itself was not very informative, it really just confirmed my suspicion that grad students are left to figure everything out for themselves (survival of the fittest, I guess). Thankfully I am a pretty resourceful person, and I should be able to get my own ID card, figure out how to pay my fees and find all the buildings on my own. The campus is very nice. Big, but not as big as I expected. Alberta is cold, colder than I had mentally prepared for. Today, the high is 12 and the low is -1. That's right, minus one in August. Yikes. I've decided to celebrate my first free day in Edmonton by taking the bus to West Edmonton mall (biggest in North America!!!) I saw one apartment yesterday that I loved, but I'm waiting to hear back from them today. I can see two more apartments tomorrow, but for today I will just enjoy myself since it's all out of my hands. The only preparation I've made is to research the bus routes that get me to IKEA, because how could I decorate my bedroom without IKEA? Here is the only picture I have of me from yesterday. The lighting and angle aren't great because I was a bit embarrassed to be taking a self-timed portrait of myself. Though I had to show you my first-day-as-a-grad-student outfit... thanks to Carole for the top and coat! By the way, I think I have the easiest major possible. Maybe it's just because I love ESL or maybe it's a fact? Talking to all these other students taking French Literature and Biophysics and Directing made TESL seem like a breeze!