All I can think when I wake up is summer. Not just summer, but THE summer, when I'd be leaving my native Pennsylvania to stay with a friend in Georgia. I'm nervous, because I've only ever met the girl over the internet, but the excitement greatly outweighs the worry, so much so that it's eventually pushed from my mind.
As soon as I'm awake enough to find my phone, I call Rowan, the girl I would be staying with. She answers the phone after a few rings with a groggy hello.
"Are you really still sleeping?" I chastised.
"Are you really away, Bryn?" she groaned, her voice a little static-y.
"My plan leaves in one hour. I've gotta be up, and that means you do too."
Another groan came from her end of the phone, and I heard a little bit of rustling that told me that she was getting up. When I heard a little 'thunk', I turned my phone on speaker and set it on my nightstand just as I knew she had and went to get dressed. We finished at the same time, breathing out matching 'I'm back's as we picked our phones back up.
"Okay, I think I've got everything packed," I said, giving the contents of my large suitcase and slightly smaller carry-on bag a once-over before zipping them up and rolling them downstairs and to my living room. "I'm gonna go wake up my mom. I'll text you before my plane takes off."
She gave a little grunt, which I had grown to know as the only real response I'd get out of her when she had just woken up. I hung up and slipped my phone into my pocket, then rushed back upstairs to my parents' room. As gently as I could, I shook my mom awake.
"Today's the day, isn't it?" she said with a half-smile on her face.
I nodded and rushed back downstairs to load my bags into our car and wait while she got ready. Today really was the day, whether I knew it or not, when my life would change.
Hours later, I arrived in Georgia. The first thing I saw when I got to the terminal was Rowan, running at me and nearly tackling me with every bit of the 100 pounds that she probably weighed. I did my best to hug her back without falling down, until she let go and dragged me over to her parents. Nothing about their appearance really surprised me, given the number of times I had seen each of them when Rowan and I skyped, but I was a little shocked at the warm welcome I received. By the time I made it to their car, I had received a cup of Starbucks coffee, a Kit Kat- courtesy of Rowan's four-year-old brother, Nathan-, numerous hugs (also from said brother), and an 'I 3 Atlanta' t-shirt.
We settled into the car, which was stocked with blankets and pillows in case someone decided that they wanted to sleep, and started the hour and a half journey back to Rowan's house. I didn't even realized that I'd fallen asleep until Nathan was patting my cheek to wake me up. I yawned and stretched, Nathan mimicking me with glee, and helped Rowan carry my suitcases inside.
The first thing I noticed about the interior of her house was that it was a bit… well, messy. Kids toys were scattered across the floor, leaving a trail down the entrance hallway and into what I guessed was the living room. There was wailing coming from that direction, but before I could see who it was coming from, Rowan nudged me up a set of stairs and to her room. We were trailed by two cats, a large dog, and Nathan. At her door, she sent all but one of the cats- this one an odd mix of oranges, browns, blacks and whites that I recognized as Delphie- out of the room and shut the door with one foot.
"I cleared you out a few drawers, since you're going to be staying for a while. Might as well get comfy, right?" Rowan said quickly, nudging half of a long white dresser that looked like it was currently home to about half the contents of her room. "You can unpack if you want, or we can go walk down the street and do something, or just… sleep." She accompanied the last word with a loud yawn, her face suddenly taking on a worn-out look.
I laughed softly, knowing that on weekends and breaks, she would probably only just be waking up. "Go to sleep, Ro. I'll unpack, then probably crash afterwards."
She gave me a grateful smile, then made a beeline for her bed. Within fifteen minutes, she was asleep and I was completely unpacked, with no idea what to do next. I could tell the top bunk had been made for me, complete with numerous blankets and pillows, a little plush Pikachu of Rowan's that I'd always admired, and even a little shelf screwed into the boards on one side. I smiled to myself; they really had thought of everything.
Trying not to wake Rowan, I tossed my carry-on bag onto the top bunk and climbed in after it. After sorting through its contents, keeping my iPod, phone and laptop either in the bunk or on the shelf, I threw the bag down next to my nearly empty suitcase and retreated under the blankets.
It took me a matter of minutes to realize that sleep was just not coming. I was too excited to even keep my eyes shut for long. Part of me was finding it hard to believe that I was even there, in this strange place, thousands of miles out of my comfort zone. Even though I knew Rowan was pretty much dead to the world today, I had tomorrow, and the rest of the summer, to explore this foreign world, and I couldn't wait to get going.