Where the Hell are we?

As were drivin down 95 further and further, I started taking note to a couple of things: old beat up pick-up trucks, confederate flags, camo hats/jackets, long beards and straw-like hair and people hanging out on the back of pick-up trucks. I started thinking "What the hell am I getting myself into?" Seeing confederate flags was the first thing I really noticed, I honestly couldn't have told you anything about it, I thought it just stood for racism(but i couldn't even tell you that at the time). We stopped at a Waffle house cause we saw signs all over. I noticed many different types of races, I also noticed everyone was overly friendly. It was almost like being in the twilight zone. The only thing I could get out of the waitress was the overused word "y'all". I had not clue people actually talked like that. Every time she said it i couldn't help but laugh. Now that I'v lived in the south for almost 2 years I'm starting to get used to it.

Headed Down 95

It was 1:00 in the morning, my friends mom was trying to kick me out of his house. He was headed for University of South Florida the next morning at 5 AM. I asked him if Flagler College was on the route to his school, he said " Na, but we can make change that." Next thing I knew was thawing my credit card down for a flight back a week later. I went home told my mom I was heading down to florida in the morning to help move my friend in. Couple hours later I was saying bye to my mom the next morning as she sipped her cup of coffee. Her reply was "Jay, where the hell are you going at 5:00 in the morning with a suitcase?", I replied "Heading down south for a bit, be home in a week, love ya."

Driving down 95 with two of my buddies, I didn't really know what to expect. The whole trip was complete random. At the time I was enrolled at University of Rhode Island, but i knew I had to get out of there,one : way to expensive, two: way to cold, and three: the party scene was getting the best of me. I had heard of Flagler College from a Communication Professor at URI, he told me to check it out because he knew I was transferring. At the time, I only thought I was going to transfer home to Montclair State University. I really didn't want to, but thought I had no other choice due to the 4 hour radius my mother had given me for schools. Hearing the word "Florida", I kind of just blocked that school out. It wasn't until I was out at Deal, a surf break in New Jersey checkin the waves and started talking to some kid that was doing the same. He was asking me where I got to school, so i did the same, he said " I go to this small school in Florida, its pretty sick and right by the water: Flagler College." Once I heard this I had to check up on it.

When we got to the school it didn't take long before I was applying to Flagler. I got home winter break and my mom handed me a little envelope with Montclair State University stamped on it. I opened it, it read something saying I am accepted but for the next fall semester. I read it out loud, I remember standing there and watching my mother stomping her one foot on the ground yelling at me about some shit I didn't want to hear. Even if I wanted to hear what she had to say, I couldn't, I felt sick to my stomach, I just stood there blank faced watching her but no sound was coming out. I walked up stairs and sat on my bed. My sister knew how upset/scared I was, I had totally forgotten about Flagler, it didn't even slip into my head. She walked by my room and told me to look under my pillow: It was huge envelope with Flager College stamped on it. I knew right from the package I had been accepted. I looked up at my sister as she stood there smiling at me, we jumped up and down as I screamed "I'm going to Florida!" When I ran down and told my mom, she was even more pist, she didn't even know I had applied. Soon she realized I would love it out there and was a lot more understanding, but still didn't like the idea of me being 18 hours away.