Last week of orientation---OVER. What???? We just started! I woke up on the last day of orientation to this lovely view out my door. The OAs teepee'ed my door on the last night :) 

I knew they were the culprits because they wrote "LOVE THE OAs"on the toilet paper. 

We wrapped up day 2 of the last session pretty easily, then did some orientation clean up. The OAs had the afternoon off while Abby, Jenna, Marinda and I set up for the OA banquet that night! 

These are all the presents! We gave the OAs picture frames, Footie's Freeze gift cards, and planners. We gave Marinda a card and a Harry Tony's gift certificate. We gave the A&T office a card, a 8x10 picture of the OAs, and an Indulge gift card. We gave Abby an electronic photo frame and a card.

(HUGE marble cake congratulating the OAs on a job well done!)

(streamers the OAs walked through to get to the banquet)

(multicolored programs and colorful flowers at each table)

(I LOVED THE CENTER PIECES!!!!)

(The Dragon's Den- OA Banquet 2011)

Then the OAs began arriving!!!

(Dennis, Bill, Marion, Kristin)

(Marion)

During part of the banquet, they were all given another OA who they had to present an "app" to (basically like a superlative but apps fit with our training theme). They were the sweetest and funniest presentations I've ever seen! 

My OAs love each other sooooo much :) Here is them having one of their many infamous group hugs!

(2011 SUNY Cortland Orientation Assistants)

I was completely surprised at the banquet to receive gifts from both the Advisement and Transition office AND the Orientation Assistants. The A&T office gave me this super thoughtful and cute "Taste of NY" basket. Inside was Spiedie sauce (Binghamton, NY), Dinosaur BBQ sauce (Syracuse, NY), New Hope Mills Maple Syrup (Auburn, NY), New Hope Mills Pancake Mix (Auburn, NY), a SUNY Cortland coffee mug, a coffee table book with pictures of Cortland, etc. This gift took so much thought and planning. I am so grateful to work with the people in this office!

The OAs also got me a surprise gift! They presented me with this photo collage of my summer in Cortland, a Cortland tshirt, and a card!

I had to make sure to get a picture with Abby! Abby is my boss and the person who interviewed me for the job, made me feel most welcome in Cortland, and who supported me all the way through training and orientation. 

(Abby, me)

Everything I did this summer I did with the help of Miss Jenna Abbott! Here is us together after a long but successful summer of orientation!

It was a great night. I love banquets! My OAs move out today :( 

So as I mentioned last post, Ron Weasley ate dinner with me on my birthday!

(Ron, Harry, Hermione)

So if you look at this stalker picture you can see him behind the guy walking and below the picture of Elvis! 

We were all so giddy in this picture :) You can see we already had our checks/money ready but Sarah ordered more food so we wouldn't have to leave the restaurant hahah.

(Jared, Jenna, me, Sarah)

I had an INCREDIBLE birthday weekend! One of the best birthday's I've ever had! 

So Friday after work, I rode from Cortland into NYC with Jenna, Jared, and Sarah. We got a great deal on a hotel (15 mins away from Times Square) for only $11/person per night! It was one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in. When I woke up Saturday, I opened and read the sweet birthday cards I had gotten from Laura, my mom, and my students! :) Then we quickly made our way into the city.. 

i <3 NYC. Jenna had never ridden on a NYC subway before so I had to snap a picture of her first time! We were taking the train to Canal St to do some shopping at China Town!

From China Town, we walked to the Financial District to see the construction on the Freedom Tower (where the Twin Towers once stood).

Did I mention it was incredibly beautiful weather??? Look at that sky! Amazing. 

BAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH Here is Jenna's second attempt at the NYC subway. Something about the subway system was confusing to her. She had trouble getting through the gates both times we took the train. This picture was actually taken the moment she realized the gate wasn't going to let her in :) We all thought it was hilarious... well... Jenna didn't think it was so hilarious.. 

After lunch, we went to see BILLY ELLIOT on Broadway! We paid only $30 for 5th row seats!! The show was soooo great!! There were a lot of really talented children with accents in it which made it even more fun to watch! 

After the show we did a little shopping in Times Square and went to the Hershey store and got our picture taken to go on this chocolate bar for a woman who works in the Advisement & Transition office at Cortland who we all loveeeeee! Hahah we signed a waiver to let our picture be shown on their electronic billboard in Times Square!!! Hahah dreams come true, my face is in lights in NYC!

(Jared)

(hilariously true billboard in Times Square)

Afterwards, we went to dinner at Stardust. This is a great restaurant where all the wait staff are auditioning to get onto Broadway so they take turns signing the whole time you're eating. It goes without saying that these people have INCREDIBLE voices so it was very entertaining and the food was great as well! 

Just as we were about to leave, our waiter informed us RON WEASLEY is just a few tables down from us!! Sarah orders a dessert so we can sit at the table longer and take stalker pictures of Ron :) Just when I thought my birthday couldn't get any better, it did!!!!!!! (*will post these pictures soon*)

Here is us at the end of the night-

(Jenna, me)

(Jared, me, Jenna, Sarah)

When we got back to the hotel, Jenna and I immediately wanted to wash our feet from walking around in the city all day! Jared thought it was a picture-perfect moment :) 

After a 4 hour car ride back to Cortland on Sunday, I walked into my dorm to find my students had decorated my room for my birthday! How sweet are they??!

I unpacked, showered, and got ready for my next adventure! Abby, my boss, hosted all the OAs at her house for a picnic dinner! Yummmmm. We all hung out outside, talked, played, and ate a delicious dinner!

After dinner, Abby and the OAs completely surprised me with a birthday cake and they all sung me happy birthday! :) I am so lucky to be surrounded by such great people here! 

Orientations have been running pretty smoothly this week! We have had a few funny hiccups. Last night I was notified that a male and female student were mistakenly placed in a room together to stay overnight at orientation. The guy said he was OK with it :) but I got that switched pretty quickly! One of my OAs went to the ER last night because a cut she had on her ankle was becoming badly infected to the point that she couldn't walk because of the pain :( But aside from that lack of sleep that was caused by yesterday's orientation session, things are going well here! 

 Last week a professional photographer was walking around orientation taking pictures and one of my students made the SUNY Cortland Orientation website. This is Sierra with her group, double click the picture if you want to see it bigger-- 

I won't be updating my blog again until Sunday because tomorrow I leave for New York City with 3 of my friends for my birthday weekend!!!!!!!! :) I'm sure I'll have tons of pictures and stories to share once I get back.

Signing off for the last time as a 22-year-old...

Dear Mom, 

I'm sorry :) I promise I was safe!

Jenna and I went to her parents house in Marathon, NY tonight for dinner! Afterwards, Mr. Abbott took me on my VERY FIRST motorcycle ride into town for ice cream. What a great evening! 

Happy 4th of July!! Today I drove to Aurora, NY to my student Marion's lake house. First, we drove just 5 minutes up the rode to the Mackenzie Childs farmhouse. Mackenzie Childs is an incredible store with hand-painted plates, furniture, decorative items, garden stuff, etc. All their patterns are abstract and colorful so you feel like you're walking through a house in Alice In Wonderland. Here is the farmhouse we went on the tour of...

(note the roosters on the bedposts)

(I love this view!!)

After our Mackenzie Childs visit we went out on Cayuga Lake (one of the finger lakes) on her boat. It could not have been a more perfect day and the part of the lake we were on was not crowded (which surprised me cause it is 4th of July and a beautiful day!)

We docked and went to a vineyard with Marion's parents. They did a wine tasting...

...while Marion, Kristin, and I played with THIS GORGEOUS PUPPY!!!!!!!!!! Looka those eyessssss!!

(Mr. Huntley, Marion, me, Kristin)

Then we got back on the boat and went tubing!!!!!! 

(me, Marion)

(me, Marion)

(Marion, Kristin)

After we were good and tired out, we went back to the Huntley's house for lunch. We sat on their back porch overlooking Cayuga Lake and ate a delicious lunch! Up here, there is something called Spiedies which everyone is shocked I'd never heard of! Well, Marion's parents made me spiedies (marinated chicken in spiedie sauce); they were delicious! They even gave me a bottle of spiedie marinade to take back to Georgia so I can introduce my family to Spiedies. We also had corn on the cobb, watermelon, and pasta salad--couldn't have asked for a better 4th of July meal. 

Arthur, the Huntley's cat, watched us eating lunch. He was there just in case any chicken were to accidentally fall on the floor, which it did... perhaps not by accident.

(Arthur)

**If I haven't made it clear before, it should be known that I feel incredibly blessed by the people who have come into my life during my time in NY. Today was a perfect example of people who haven't known me for long, but have gone out of their way to take me into their homes, make me feel comfortable, make my summer in NY more special and memorable, and make being away from family/friends a little easier.**