Well the insanity is finally over.

June 27, 2002 was the beginning of New York Summer Institute of Teach for America. Even though I had friends who'd been through the insanity and told me in great detail how hectic the month was going to be, I walked on to the campus with most of my innocence intact.

This year's institute, which was the second one in New York ever, boarded us at the Bronx campus of Fordham University. The campus was absolutely gorgeous, covered with black and brown squirrels and tons of green.

Since I was in the New York City corps, I was told to be there on Thursday instead of Sunday, when the rest of the regions were scheduled to arrive. I got to campus earlier than planned but the line to check-in was already obscene. Specifically, the fingerprinting line. After hanging out in line for several hours, surrounded by recent college graduates, I did start questioning my choices. Was I really ready for this?

As one of the staff handed me my dorm room key, she said, "Oh, Millenium Hall, you're really lucky, it's air-conditioned." I didn't realize how lucky I really was until the next day. My dorm was mostly full of LA corps members and almost all the New York corps was roomed in Tierney Hall. We were just a few of the spill-overs. Millenium was the only air-conditioned dorm on campus and while the other corps members drenched their covers from sweating profusely, I had to ask Jake to bring me two more covers since I shivered all night long.

All checked in and quite frazzled, I met my roommate, Sojourner. She was also scheduled to teach in New York, middle school English. Over the next five weeks, Sojourner and I became friends, as she was an awesome roommate.

Since I had promised to show up at mock-interviews at 8am the next morning, I went to bed, trying not to think of what was to come.

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