VCU audition turned bad but Richmond is good.

I woke up bright and early at 6:30am and picked up my friend Erik. We got our 24oz Wawa coffee and pastries and headed to the interstate. We were well on our way and I was starting to actually enjoy myself. Besides being incredibly nervous, I was really excited to be taking this big step in deciding my future. We got thought the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel before 9am so I thought we were doing well so far. Check was at 10:30am so I was shooting for 10am. We just passed by where my family lives in Newport News and traffic started to slow. Erik said it was probably just the Fort Eustis traffic. So we sat and sat until I started to notice the time. I began to worry plus I had to pee really bad! We would sit there for20 min and move 5 feet. I ended up turning the car off every time we stopped to try to save gas. It got to the point where I was freaking out because it was past 10am and we still were 60 miles from Richmond. I told myself that I would not cry because I would be a wreck in my audition. Erik called the VCU Dance Department to tell them about how bad the traffic was for all the eastbounders and to ask if they would let me in if I got there late and also if it would effect my scholarship qualification. They said if we came any later than 12 that I would not be admitted but they were nice and positive and said that we should make it at least by 11:45am. I tried to calm down by smoking a cigarette but the lighter was fussy. I finally got it to work but realized that it did not help that I had to pee so bad. We passed a rest stop exit but I couldn't get over to the lane so I decided we'd get off at the next exit. Of course there were none in sight and traffic was moving an inch a minute. I finally just pulled over opened both the front and rear right side passenger doors squatted down and had Erik cover me from above and peed the longest pee of my life. I felt so much more relieved after that. But it didn't last very long-- it was now 11:30am and there was no way I was going to make my audition. I smoked another cigarette and traffic stopped again. I started to cry; I wasn't going to audition anymore today. Erik couldn't do anything to comfort me except deny every negative thing I said with a very intellectual answer. My mom called and I told her everything. She said how the traffic was on the news and it was caused by a tractor trailer accident which had an oil spill and so they had to completely stop traffic. There was another accident that they didn't report on the news too. Traffic finally got moving and we decided to go to Richmond anyways. I went to the dance center and I ran into an old GSA student who graduated my freshman year who now goes to VCU for dance. They sympathized with me but regretted that I could not audition because I was an hour late. I would have to come back and audition in January. Erik and I decided to go get food at the Commons and ran into a friend of his from Summer Residential GSA and so we ate with him and his friends. His name was Kyle and he decided to walk us around a bit. We went to 821 Cafe and waited for Erik's friend Joelle to show up but Kyle had to leave. Erik enjoyed coffee and I had tea with tons of honey for my sore throat. The cafe was very cool and artsy with paintings everywhere. They were playing a Cursive cd that I happen to own which brought back memories because I hadn't listened to it in forever. Joelle finally showed up and we talked for a couple hours while she ate. She is an international studies major and I am now very interested in becoming one! We both want to eventually join the Peace Corps. We left the cafe, me with a camera in my hand taking pictures of everything from that point on. We went to the Jefferson hotel and basked in its glory. Then I requested to go to a place I had seen in everyone's pictures of the rapids and the bridge. Joelle took us on a journey through Belle Isle and all it's sight-seeing spots and haunted woods. After that the sun was setting and it began to get dark so we dropped Joelle off at her dorm and headed home. I am more and more in love with the city every time I visit. I hope the accident wasn't a sign that I shouldn't be going to VCU because I want to more than anything.

Check out Erik's blog for the rest of our adventure in Richmond.