Growing up, I was never eager to go school supply shopping before the start of a new year (likely because my mom wouldn’t let me buy notebooks with Britney Spears on the cover and instead made me stick to Lisa Frank as it much more “age-appropriate” for a third-grader).

{This is what my parents were dealing with–short hemlines inspired by Britney.}

In high school, I became accustomed to showing up on the first day with one over-sized manila folder in my backpack. Gradually, I would collect supplies from my friends. By the end of the day, I would have a pen, a pencil, a highlighter, a marker (usually in an unfavorable color, like brown, but still a coloring utensil nonetheless), and if I was lucky, a Pink Pearl eraser. To say that I was an unprepared student would be an understatement, though I still somehow managed to stay completely organized.

Feeling oddly zealous a few weeks ago, I made a trip to Target and purchased several notebooks (none of which had a pop star on the cover) in anticipation of a new semester. I didn’t go full-blown psycho in the Crayola aisle, but not having to scribble a syllabus down on the palm of my hand is a step up from the past.

After staying up way too late and having a panic attack while trying to sort through 6,348 photos to print (6,000 of which were awful pictures of smoothie bowls that I thought were artistic at the time but actually look like shit; approximately one was Shutterfly-worthy), I was ecstatic to receive an email in the morning noting that campus was opening at 10am.

With my first two classes canceled, I headed to Towson geared up for the snow and ice. I was early, I was wearing my rubber boots and had yet to slip and fall on my ass, and I had my school supplies.

While I was walking (more like gliding to create traction), I noticed a poor kid struggling to carry two huge boxes in the rain. I offered to help him carry them across campus, and despite becoming numb from the cold, making a new friend was a great way to start a Monday.

A friend from middle school ended up being in three of my classes, so it was fun to reunite with her after so many years, and I actually enjoyed my professors. I hate to admit it, but I think I may like this whole school thing this semester.

As a child, did you look forward to school supply shopping?

Have you been pleasantly surprised by anything recently?