Longhorn Confidential sample blog.

It seems like every conversation I begin with my friends, whether in person or online, begins with “when are you leaving for college?” A couple months ago, it was “where are you going to college?” and before that, it was “where are you applying for college?” Life has been fixated on going to college for a while now. As the moment of departure approaches, however, my excitement is mixed with trepidation, as I realize that moving to a new, exciting place necessarily means leaving behind Houston, my home for the last 10 years. Even though I can’t wait to get started at UT-Austin, inertia is pulling me back and keeping me lounging on my bed instead of preparing. Time to make some packing lists…

Coming with me:
- Lots of my friends! Around 50 or so of them. Some are coming from The Woodlands, and some are coming from Katy, and some are new people I just met at orientation, but there’s a ton of interesting people that I’ll get to interact with.
- My Toshiba laptop. It’s hardly the most cutting edge piece of tech out there, but it’s a dedicated workhorse, and no matter what, it’s still better than a Mac. (Admittedly, I am a little bit jealous that my computer doesn’t look quite as sexy, but at least it was cheap!)
- 3 bargain speaker systems (Altec Lansing, General Electric, and Sony, respectively). Net market worth? $60. With a little bit of twine, though, and a couple of extension cords, I set up my own little bootleg surround system at home and I hope to recreate that in college - just for a little touch of home.
- A brand new MyTouch 3G. Well, not yet, technically – but it’s coming in within a week! After using a RAZR for years, my old phone developed a propensity to turn itself off randomly. Well, not quite – I noticed a direct correlation between the importance of the phone call being made or the task being performed and the likelihood of an unwelcome shutdown.
- A lot of shoes. I am an unashamed sneakerhead – my biggest indulgence – but it is a little embarrassing that I am struggling with an issue that mostly plagues the fairer sex.
- Contacts and cleats. I plan to play Ultimate as much as I can at UT; I definitely have a lot of room for improvement, but I really like the sport, and UT’s Ultimate team is pretty awesome. I really hate contacts – I can never get them in right the first time (blame my squinty Asian eyes!) and they also dry out and itch, but they’re a must have for Ultimate.
- Memories and personal effects. I’m not really sentimental, but some things are just worth hanging onto, as reminders of how special some people are. My girlfriend, Natalia, made me a little collage and wrote me some incredibly sweet letters that I’m keeping with me.

Not coming with me:
- My family: two loving parents and a 4 year old brother – I will especially miss watching him grow by leaps and bounds every day! Although I am not very good at music mixing, he loves telling me that I’m a great DJ, and his relationship with me alternates sporadically between hero worship and abuse. I will miss him waking me up in the mornings by jumping on me… and I have a feeling I’m going to miss my little human alarm clock even more when my 8 AM’s start.
- My girlfriend, Natalia; she is going to be a junior in high school next year, and I’m doing my best to convince her that UT-Austin is the school for her. She loves telling me that she’s probably going to go to A&M because it makes me squirm. We have a wonderfully weird relationship.
- Lots of my friends. Some decided UT isn’t the place for them… and some just haven’t applied yet. I hope to stay in touch, but hey, that’s what the internet is for.
- My debate team. After 4 years of Lincoln-Douglas debate, captaining, competing, judging, and coaching, it’s weird to leave the activity of high school debate behind. My high school still has lots of talented kids, though, to continue the legacy. My prodigal son, Sam Hamad, looks to dominate the San Antonio/Texas circuit this year. Look out.
- My iPod; after years of faithfully churning out my collection of tunes, it finally stopped working. Hopefully this is where the MyTouch will come in!
- My car. His name is Jack, and he’s a ’98 Camry LE V6. He’s been in the family for more than a decade, and it’s going to be hard to leave him behind. He can be a little bit crotchety sometimes – especially when younger cars cut him off - but I still love him.

Well, that’s pretty much it. Other than clothes and some other essentials, I can’t think of much else to bring. I guess I’m a pretty utilitarian guy. What are you bringing/leaving behind on your way to UT-Austin? Comments below.