One Flight Down

I stood on the curb outside of the airport. Heart racing, head focused on what was actually happening. I was ecstatic. Eighteen years young, and off to my freshman year of college. Of course, I don't know what to expect, but that isn't going to stop me. I took my breath of the fresh Chicago air, only to be stopped by the smell of a cigarette invading my nose. So much for fresh.. Don't those people know that smoking only leads to lung cancer? I coughed and got in the cab that was going to take me to my new home for the next semester.

"Welcome to Chicago." the driver smiled at me. He was a pudgy fellow, only around his mid-fourties. A few teeth missing, more than likely from smoking like the others standing outside the airport now a few blocks behind us. Man, put a few tattoos on that man and you would get my Uncle Brian.

"Thanks." I smiled back as we started to move forward in the yellow cab after a intersection. My mother, who was sitting in the passenger's seat, looked out the window at the tall offices and other buildings that were crowding the street sides.

I looked out of the window I was sitting near, finding myself being drawn to the details of every building. Everything here was so much more than what was at my hometown. Can I help it if it scares me a little bit now? My small hometown is partly fields and farms, though, I've traveled too much for this too scare me enough to back out. It just means I need to get used to where everything is here.

The sun filtered in between the alleyways between buildings and stores. I was fascinated, captivated even, every picture I'd seen of Chicago had done that. This was one of the places I'd never been in my eighteen years of life.. Well that's not true, I drove through here a few years ago with my parents on a family vacation. Which reminds me, where's my father? I looked out the back window to the blue car that was mine, which my father was behind the wheel of at the moment.

He better be careful with my baby. If he dents it or makes it any more crappy than it already is, I'll kill that man. I chuckled to myself.
My mother looked back smiling at me, tears pooling under her eyes. "What?" I laughed.
"I just can't believe you're going off to college!" she said making the cab driver chuckle.
I rolled my eyes. "Mom, we've been through this already. I told you not to do this." I replied, leaning my head back against the rough fabric of the cab seat.

"I know honey, but I can't help it. My little girl's all grown up. I - "
"Mom! Seriously, you don't see Dad acting like this! I mean come on, It's just a little bit of college time and then I'll be home for Thanksgiving." I gave her a look.
She recognized it as the driver laughed and she turned back around in her seat. "Well I can see it's going to be a fun time leaving." he remarked.
I chuckled. "Tell me about it."

We rode a few more blocks and arrived just outside of the dorms that kids have probably already crowded themselves into. I saw the signs for sororities and such for all the high-class people here. Let me tell you if somebody like one of those snooty little sorority girls with all the implants comes up to me and tries to make me like them.. Yeah I'll kill 'em. Okay, okay, maybe not literally but still, I mean come on who are they trying to kid?

I looked at all the cars, okay now that made me a little nervous, this college probably holds more than my small town. Brushing the bangs out of my eyes, I pulled out the map that showed the way around campus. Let me tell you right now, it's big.
I'm hoping I get put in a good dorm so I'm not surrounded by girly girls, at least hopefully not my roommate. Oh well, getting there is the all the fun of it.