Do I love Charlottesville? Absolutely.

What's up party people?! Welcome to my blog. I've been wanting to start a blog for a while now, but I have been waiting until I had something exciting to write about. So, here we go...

The S.A.S.S.Y Charlottesville Adventure

I am currently a rising 3rd year student at the University of Virginia, located in the small, but wonderful city of Charlottesville. This weekend, I flew back down to Virginia from Long Island to volunteer at Reunions Weekend for the +5000 alumni returning to dear old UVa to "relive their crazy college days." Upon my arrival at Dulles, two of my roommates from 2nd year, Zenith-ers Emily and Kate picked me up and we drove to Herndon, VA to have lunch before the drive down to school. There was a festival in Herndon (which included a large stage) so we seriously contemplated doing a performance for the lovely Herndon residents, but since we were so hungry, and for that reason alone, we decided against it. There was also the issue of what song we were going to sing (we very seriously considered True Colors but quickly decided it was too risky since we were missing the rest of our entourage).

We stopped at Kate's house and took a picture with a life-size Elvis cut-out and talked about isolated thunderstorms, and then me and Emily, aka Sassafrass, continued on our way. Highlights of the drive included some isolated storms (it is key to note how isolated they were), two very great CD's, and a dance party on Route 29 featuring Forever (good song, bad dude) and Haven't Met You Yet (if you click this link, starting at around 2:30, I just wanted to make sure you knew that I legitimately wish grocery stores were this much fun).
After Emily drove like a boss through those isolated storms, we reached C'Ville and were quite excited (especially when we drove past the Roto). Along with Chris, we waited for Quinn on the front porch of his summer house on the three high-quality couches that were out there. When he arrived, obviously wearing a lab coat and steel-toed workboots, we picked up The Texan and went to BellAir Market, a 5-star sandwich restaurant that also sells dog food, hidden within a gas station. Everyone really needs to eat here some time. Although, due to its location, it is less talked about than the famed Take-it-Away sandwich shop on The Corner, it is hands-down just as good AND is on that list of Things to Do Before You Graduate.

The next day, after an exciting night involving a short stint with the fire alarm (but no fire, so don't worry), me and Sass reported to Alumni Hall at 8am to start volunteering for Reunions.
Highlights of the 2-day extravaganza include the Class of 1980 Fiesta at North Grounds Fitness Center, in which we talked incessantly about the wonderful-ness of the Class of 2012 and Marisa and I ate some delicious lemon curd, the Class of 1970 Dinner on the Esplanade of the Rotunda where it was about 200 degrees (literally), the Dorm Reunion in McCormick Quad featuring 6 large kegs, having free Qdoba for lunch at Alumni Hall, chatting with many great friends from school, and the Band Party in the Amphitheater until 1am in which Emily and I convinced a woman who may or may not have been having a little bit too much fun that we were biological sisters. Overall, the whole weekend was a very positive experience. It was really cool to see so many people who really loved their time at school, and who very evidently still absolutely loved the school. I sat in on a panel for the Class of 1970, in which a bunch of people just chatted about their time at UVa, and one man, who told me he was the jokester of his year, said, "this place is different." And he said that because it is.

When my parents dropped me off at school 1st year at Bonnycastle, as they were pulling away, my dad stopped the car and leaned out the window and said, "Al, just do me a favor and don't drink the punch." I agreed I would stay away from the stuff (and stick to drinking lots of naked juice and very casual beverages), however, I find it very ironic that a few weeks ago, the Silver Fox, Dean Groves, said, "the students here at UVa really drink the punch." I'm pretty sure they were referring to two very different beverages (one probably much more casual than the other), but the point is that UVa is a cool place, with even cooler people, and I'm very lucky to be a part of it.

So there you go, that's my first story! I thoroughly enjoyed writing it, so I guess I'll keep up with this blogging thang. Get pumped for all kinds of stories, some advice, far too many YouTube and SNL references, pics, and random lists (in case you were wondering, any list I create was due to inspiration from Katie, my first friend to catch blog-fever). Also, you can be sure that all posts will be witty and very fresh. And, if you think things could get wittier up in here, just let me know, I will do my best.

Peace and Blessings. P&B. And special thanks to Emily for helping me create a name for this blog. She is Rockstar of the Day.