The eye of the hurricane: ME.

You would think high-school drama ends in high school.

It does not. It continues into college; takes your days in a chokehold, spins you around till you are dizzy, and the only difference is:

Shit actually gets real.

On that note, Hi everyone! I am Shaona, a fairly innocuous second year student, currently studying in the college of my dreams.

To begin with, my characteristic traits include sheer eccentricity, a disturbingly unwavering faith in true love, an alt persona which is solely based on the unhealthy amount of romance novels I read (I know, rich claims for someone who hasn't even had their first kiss yet), and an uncanny knack to let go of the tiniest brain cell I possess at least thirty times a day and pull off the wildest of stuff. 

Do not mistake me for being stupid, though. While I do lack the basic propensities to lead a sane life, I am indeed yet another one of those academic validation girlies who have made it a life goal to keep the straight A's. My friends say I am intelligent, and I agree; they also say I am a raging fool when it comes to romance, and I agree to that too.

Which brings me to the next section, aka romance. I have often been told my life plays out like a sitcom. For reference, it's like if you collate "How I Met Your Mother" to "Friends", and then shrink the ages of the characters to their late teens, and then increase their predisposition to disasters by 30%. What you obtain as a result, is a fair mirage of my life. While I have often documented these "sitcom episodes" in my diaries, I realized it wouldn't be a half bad idea to let people in on the fun too. We'll see how that pans out.

To give you more of an insight into what this blog will be about, I'll delve into a little more detail of who I am. I am a STEM major, with pretty awesome math skill (I am sorry, that's the one brag I will allow myself). I love physics and math  with a passion comparable to the way I love my romance novels. I have a set of amazing girlfriends who keep me sane and on track and away from the (often men related) disasters that I find myself in. I love composing poetry, listening to happy music, the most cliche set of pop songs, and of course, have an unhealthy obsession with Taylor Swift (Folklore is my choice of poison). Also, I regret to inform you that unlike most quirky movie characters, I did not grow up with any immense trauma. I have kickass parents, and you will often hear me compare my romantic interests to my dad, who set the standards a little too high (And no, I do not have an unresolved oedipal complex). 

Here's the thing: despite what half of Indian parent population will claim, college isn't easy. Even if it's your dream college, even if you are the "chosen one" from a rat race of millions. It never is easy. There will be nights you will lie on your bed feeling confused, and it won't feel like you were once the "chosen one". When you are a woman in STEM, I suppose the self-doubt only amplifies. You will feel undeserving, stupid, panicky and ugly- all in the time gap of three minutes, sometimes. And you will need to learn to ask for help. Unlike high school, nobody tells you what to do once you enter that small hostel room; the consequences of your actions are never a rebuke from your parents, it's a stain on your future. It isn't easy, but it isn't all bad either. 

You meet friends you will hang on to for life; you learn self-sustenance. You self-teach discipline; you get a bunch of "firsts." You stay up till 3am, you go days without showering, you have days when the only meal you have is a chicken sandwich at 4pm, you learn to do your own laundry, you put up posters so your room feels a little more like home, and you go up to strange, deserted rooftops at 4am to stargaze with a guy you think will be your husband-all for the first time.

My firsts are still in progress, and these are memories I know I would want to cherish when these five years end. I also want to keep an account of all the swiveling, tumultuous, chaotic incidents I get into, so when (and if) I get out alive, the ones of you that follow in my footsteps know that it will be alright-even when the world feels on the verge of crashing. Even when you get a bad grade, and you are doubting if you've done anything right in life. Even when that crush breaks your heart. Even when that friend you thought would always have your back ditches you. Even when you hurt someone you love.

It will be alright. Always.

Signing off, Shaona.