Orientation

     For many, the idea of orientation includes finding your way around campus, finding classes, making friends, buying textbooks, and so on. This preconceived idea of what orientation week, or "O-Week" as many call it, is one that is largely different from the reality of orientation week. For me, and for many, "O-week" consisted upon drinking shots of vodka, blurred nights, togas, loud music, and thankfully waking up in your own bed the next morning.
    One particular morning, I awoke to the sun streaming through my large window. I turned on to my back and tried to register where I was. I laid entangled in my sheets, staring at the beige ceiling above me, trying to figure out why my head was pounding. I suddenly realized that the pounding was not in my head, but in fact at my door. I heard the familiar and unnecessarily loud voice of Avery as she shouted through my wooden door.
      "Mary! Wake up! How crazy was last night? I think I'm still drunk!" Avery yelled. I groaned and rolled out of bed. I found a pair of shorts and a sweater and quickly got dressed before Avery could make any more noise and wake up my roommate. I opened my bedroom door to find Avery leaning against the door post, water bottle in hand, still wearing her dress from the night before.
       "Nice outfit." I stated as I let Avery enter my room.
        "Oh someone's grumpy today are they?" Avery taunted, "Here's some water, you have to get yourself in gear for tonight!" Avery threw the water bottle at me as she simultaneously jumped onto my bed. Avery quickly found the TV remote and turned on the latest episode of some trashy reality tv show that I was unaware of. I walked over to the bed and flopped down beside Avery on the bed. As I sat there I thought to myself, it had been three days of endless partying but still no boys or prospects in sight. I thought university was all about finding your soul mate, but all I had met was boys with snaggle teeth and body odour. I turned to Avery and questioned her on this matter.
       "Have you met anyone yet?" Avery turned to me, looking confused. "I mean, have you met any hot guys or nice ones atleast?" I continued.
       "Pft no," Avery snorted, "all the guys at the bar are either desperate geeks or sleeze balls. There is a cute guy on my floor though."
       "I thought this would be the week we would meet every body," I said, "but I haven't met anyone remotely decent yet."
        "Girl, don't even worry," Avery said, "it's been three days. Who cares just enjoy yourself you'll meet someone eventually." I turned and faced the ceiling again. Avery was right, why did I care if I met someone. Was I really that desperate that I couldn't even enjoy a week of partying with new friends? I just had to have a boy to talk to? I decided to put all the worrying behind me. As the night came I wore my sexiest little black dress and nude pumps and went down to Avery's room to drink with our new friends. Something was different about tonight, I drank more and cared less about the people I wanted to meet. I focused on the friends surrounding me and the music playing in my ears. Near midnight my friends and I managed to stumble to the University bar. Together we danced in a circle, having the time of our lives. The music was loud and thumping with the beats of our hearts, the lights bounced off of our sequince tops, and all that mattered was the smile on our faces and how loud we could sing to the songs. I noticed an extremely attractive blonde boy looking at me from across the bar. I wasn't sure if it was the liqour or my little black dress, but I lost all cares and made my way acros the bar. As I made my way over to the boy I forgot to think up something clever and witty to say, so I stuck to being my awkward self said, "Hi!" The blonde bombshell gave a smile and said, "'Ello there" I immediately was struck back by this boys thick British accent, and how lucky I was to meet him. We went outside and sat together for two hours, he told me how he had travelled here from England away from his family to experience Canada. Everytime he used words such as "knickers" or "the loo" I couldn't help but giggle. It wasn't until closing time that I realized I had completely ditched my friends, I hopped off the picnic table we had been sitting on and said, "Oh my God I lost my friends." He looked up at me and smiled and said, "Well you better go find them." I gave him my best smile and stuck out my hand for him to shake. "My names Mary-Kate by the way." The blonde, british boy looked to me and said, "Eric." I turned to leave and looked over my should and said, "See you around Eric," before running back into the pub. I found my friends awkwardly standing on the stage scanning the crowd for me. I jumped and waved my hands until they smiled and ran towards me. We made our way home and said our drunken goodnights before separating to our separate rooms. As I took off my little black dress to put on more comfortable clothes I sat on my bed looking at myself in the mirror. It was then that I remembered that in my drunken state I didn't even give Eric my phone number. I let out a laugh as I climbed into my comfortable, welcoming bed. "Oh well" I drunkenly said to myself as I laid down on my pillows. My last drunken thoughts consisted of the idea that University was not about finding your soul mate, but that it was about finding yourself. Maybe it was these drunken nights and drunken meetings that gave you the experience to know yourself and what you wanted to prepare yourself for your soul mate. I thought to myself, being alone, having fun with friends and experiencing university could be enough.