All right, here it is, my very first blog post, and the source of inspiration: my local Target.

Unfortunately, my favorite one-stop shop doesn’t offer a whole lot in the world of e-books and e-readers yet, perhaps they will by the time my book comes out in November.  In the meantime… 

I can’t help but smile as I pass the showcase aisles right now; the shelves upon shelves of bright new laundry baskets, handy shower trays, colorful plastic dishes, and of course those padded chairs that, while they look cool, are about as comfortable to sit on as a block of concrete.  They’re college supplies, and for an incoming freshman piling that big red cart full of them, they’re the beginnings of an unparalleled journey.

It’s a journey I embarked upon just a few short years ago, and one I describe in detail in And then it Rained: Lessons for Life.  I was actually confident enough back then to believe  that I had all the “lessons” I needed.  I’d gone through the normal ups and downs of a typical teenager, as well as some not-so-normal experiences that had to have taught all there was to know… 

As it turned out, that was only Part 1. Part 2, well, there’s a reason I’m so passionate about young people getting to college.

Do you remember your freshman year of college?  Were you homesick?  Scared?  Excited? Was it everything you thought it would be?  What’s the one piece of advice you’d give someone just starting out?