Moving Up | Mansfield University of Pennsylvania has a new student

These Pennsylvanian roads, highways, mountains are beginning to become very familiar to me.  A warm welcome.  A well travelled route.  And, I'm sure to see them again and again - happily.  A little more than a week ago, my dad escorted my first daughter, Chelsea (and his first granddaughter) and I on a journey to Mansfield University of Pennsylvania to help her move into her dormitory accommodations, and get situated in her new surroundings before beginning the fall semester.  It was an eventful day filled with interesting twists and turns, which started bright and early (5:30am) and ending late into the night.  Whew, I'm exhausted just thinking back on our fun adventures.  It was a happy day I won't easily forget. :) 

Along our journey, I was reminded of how stunningly beautiful Pennsylvania is.  We are fortunate to be surrounded by so much natural magnificence! 

Here's my Pop at the helm guiding us with his wisdom and great tunes!  

Love you, Dad.  Thanks again for a smooth, relaxing ride. 

And, here is the wonderfully talented, Chelsea!  All smiles and ready for the next chapter in her life.  I think it's safe to say that all of her family is extremely proud of her and wish her the moon and stars!!  Reach, baby.  Reach.  Stretch.  Further yourself with everything you've got - and that's quite a lot!  Your momma loves you.  But, I'm guessing you knew that. 

After 3.5 hours, we had Mansfield University in our sights!!  We could view the 175 acre campus from U.S. Highway 15, as it's nestled within Tioga County's mountainous range and what a joyous sight to see!  Here we come!! 
For more on Tioga County and the abundant, interesting things to see and do, please visit:  www.visittiogapa.com 

We unloaded Chelsea's stuff - including her 1st pool stick (damaged yet her treasure) and mountain bike.  We only had to make a couple trips up and back to the 6th floor of Laurel Manor with all this stuff (minus the bike)!  It was fun to check out her dorm room, hoping to meet her roommate, but she wasn't in yet.  So, we took the opportunity to get her unpacked, make the bed, and make a list of needed items to pick up at the local store.  There were many parents and students doing the exact same thing!  

This is her view from atop the 6th floor looking out from the hallway window. It really is a sight to see and I'm guessing come wintertime, she'll be seeing lots of white, wintry snow cover these buildings, trees and mountain ranges.  :) 

Once we were finished with the unpacking, we managed to fit in a tasty lunch at Manser Hall where Chelsea scored a job - that very same day!!  :)) Way to go, Chels!  Things were falling into place left and right.  More serendipitous good will coming to Chelsea. 

After lunch and the excitement shared at Chelsea's job acquisition, it was time to head over to the Financial Aid office to take care of money $$ matters and then to the Bookstore for book business.  The student staff members were very helpful, and within a few minutes, Chelsea had all of her book requirements ready to head to the checkout.  

*Gulp*  Keep saving those nickels and dimes, Chels (and maybe some tens and twenties, too).  They'll come in handy next book shopping semester.  ;) 

Moving along.  Chelsea returned her books to her room and then it was time to visit the beautifully ornate library in North Hall.  If you had a chance to see my previous blog post about Chelsea's orientation in June than you'll remember this astounding structure.  If you didn't get a chance to see the previous post, you can click - here - to see it.  The last time we were here, the library wasn't open.  I was eager to see this building more closely, and to meet Mr. Dennis Miller, Director of Public Relations at MU.  And his office is conveniently located in North Hall!  Dennis was a great supporter of my previous blog post and wrote to me with such enthusiasm - I had to meet him firsthand!  I forgot to tell him that my "Reflections of Mansfield" post has received close to 500 views/visits … !!! … WoW!  The most popular of my blogs to date!  Thank you, Dennis.  It was a sincere pleasure to meet you.  My one regret from the day was that in my eagerness to meet you, I forgot to take your photo to share on my blog!  Next time?    

The North Hall Library is a formative wealth of history and information.  We could have spent an entire day admiring all the antiquities, books, photo archives, not to mention the amazing architecture that dates back to the mid 1800s.  The interior of this beautiful masterpiece did not disappoint us in the least.  In fact, quite the contrary!  We marveled at it's nooks and crannies, open stairwell, large pillars, long corridors, and quiet stillness throughout.  North Hall is a treasure to behold, and I hope Chelsea makes it a point to visit as often as possible.

Snap to, Mom.  ;) There were still a few things on the agenda.  Put your camera down and stop dreamily shooting every angle of the library!  Okay, okay… ;)

We ran our errands in the quaint, friendly town of Mansfield; picking up the odds and ends that Chelsea would soon need.  We took care of the necessities - like good hiking boots for her winter walks between classes and a bike lock to keep "Burt" secure, just to name a few.

   

By this time, we were just about finished up with the day's business agenda, and we were ready for an early dinner before saying our goodbyes and heading home.  We were intrigued by this small town brewing company & restaurant called Yorkholo Brewing Co.  We took a chance on it, and wow! Were we happy we did!!  

The food was inspiring!  My black bean burger with swiss cheese was over the top scrumptious!!  It was freshly made to order.  Dad enjoyed his Reuben and his hoppy ale (which he let me sip - it was superb!!!).  And Chelsea had the chicken sandwich.  At this point I was downing the coffee.  Knowing that my dad and I had a long drive ahead of us, I needed caffeine to keep me going.  Otherwise, I would have been enjoying an ale of my own!  So good, I tell you.  So good.   

The company, the atmosphere, the food and drink was all top notch.  We were thoroughly surprised to have found such an artisan style, quality establishment in this little town of Mansfield.  If you get a chance to stop in at Yorkholo Brewing Co. on your travels, please be sure to tell them that you saw this blog.  And that I said, "Cheers!" ;)   

Once we were completely stuffed to the gills, it was time to take Chelsea back to her dormitory and head on south, down the road.  BUT not before she begged me and her PopPop for one quick game of pool at the neighbor establishment to Yorkholo Brewing Co., Changos Cantina.  I caved, and let her play me one game.  Maybe I was too full from our meal, or tired from the long day, or distracted thinking about how much I was going to miss her, or whatever my excuse might be … She beat me - good, too.  Since Chelsea has such a fondness for pool, and she has *finally* taken me down a notch, I thought to share this bluesy tune by Jonny Lang, "Rack 'Em Up," which will forever remind me of her now.     

We drove her back to the dormitory - me: with my tail between my legs, and feeling sad to say "bye for now;" and her: beaming with pride, ready and eager to get started with her new chapter.  We said our goodbyes and of course, to my surprise, I cried for the first 10 minutes of the ride as we left Mansfield.  Dad and I had an uneventful, smooth ride home filled with lots of lively conversation.  I am grateful to my dad for sharing in this special day and for making it extra great for Chelsea and I.  Thanks again, Dad!!  It was a very productive day, indeed!  

I am simply so excited for you, Chelsea as you concentrate on your study goals and future endeavors.  I couldn't be more proud, and happy for you.  It's time to put your special talents, your gifts that you have been bestowed with to work - and work them hard, and always for the greater good, Chelsea.  I know you will.  It's in your nature.  Do good work.  Take good care of yourself.  And the rest will fall into place.  
love and hugs,
mom

Reflections of Mansfield

Time has a way of sneaking up on us.  I cannot believe that my 1st daughter is 22 already!   As of her last birthday, I have been a mom for more than half of my life!!  But, you know, I'm not going to wallow in this, rather I celebrate it.  Yes, it's true that I am preparing my 3rd and youngest daughter to begin preschool this fall (which includes potty training!!), my 2nd daughter for 1st grade AND my 1st and oldest for her junior year of college!!  Some of you will more than likely read this and shake your heads in disbelief, however, I feel very fortunate and blessed to have such a range of ages between my 3 girls.  They are my life.  I love being their mom. :)

Speaking of college preparations, my 1st daughter, Chelsea and I headed north this past weekend to attend Mansfield University of Pennsylvania's orientation.  Just the two of us.  We left on Friday as soon as my husband got home from work and we could "tag team," or in other words, I handed over responsibility of our young 'uns with a high five and a kiss goodbye!!  Chelsea and I hit the open road bound for Mansfield, PA - way up yonder in the mountains of central Pennsylvania in Tioga County.  We were so excited to get there that we only made one quick pit stop!  Chelsea was in charge of DJ'ing our music selection (The Beatles, John Mayer, Norah Jones, Dave Matthews Band - to name a few).  We had great conversation, enjoyed the sights, and photographed every interesting thing you can think of!! ;)  Three and a half hours later we arrived.        

The closer we got to Mansfield, the more excited we became!  We were pleasantly blessed with a beautiful omen ~ a rainbow!!!  :-))

When we did arrive Mansfield, we drove straight to the college to have a look - see.  I was immediately struck by the architecture of some of the older buildings.  But I'll save those treats for a little later and further into the story! 

  

We then checked into our accommodations at The Mansfield Inn.  The Inn was comfortable, clean and budget worthy.  Just right for us!! 

We headed out for dinner at Gregory's Restaurant and Lounge just across the street from the Inn.  Our dinner was fine dining and delicious!  

It hit the spot!  We were ready to head out on the town to see what this quaint little Victorian style town had to offer.

  

There weren't many people out and about.  It's pretty quiet I suppose in the summertime as most of the college students are away.  We did manage to find some fun though!  Walking along the main street we took note of the small businesses:  antique shop, jeweler, a brewery restaurant, florist, hairdresser, garage, a coffee shop, Ten West Espresso Co. with live music being performed in their parking lot area, and a small bar, Chango's Cantina with a pool table.  Chelsea's eyes lit up when she saw the pool table and insisted that we go in and challenge whomever was playing so we could gain the table for ourselves.  Chelsea won the table!  But she didn't beat her momma! ;)  Chelsea's probably thinking "rematch! rematch!"  

We were tired and headed back to our room to get comfortable.  Our Saturday's agenda of orientation began sharply at 7:30am.  

Saturday morning came much too soon, as we stayed up until the wee hours watching one of my favorite movies on AMC, The Shawshank Redemption. 

If you have never seen this movie, I would highly recommend that you do! 

We arrived Mansfield University and were warmly welcomed by attending students.  Did someone say *coffee*?!  Oh, yes please!!! 

We visited the book store, Chelsea got her photo taken for her student ID 

and we found time to wander the grounds a little and, of course, take photos!!

Mansfield University is a large, sprawling campus consisting of 175 acres!  They have something for everyone!  Even their gymnasium offers an olympic size swimming pool!

We also found the game room in the Student Center.  I think she was sold the moment she saw 4 full size pool tables!!

She was ready to rack 'em up and attempt to challenge me once again.

Mansfield University traces its history back to 1857 when it was originally built as a seminary.  The now "North Hall Library," a 7-story Victorian building, overwhelmed me with its ornate, beautifully detailed architecture.  This building was built by master craftsmen of stone and brick masons.  

True artists of their time.  I couldn't take my eyes off of it!!  

According to Wikipedia:  "The building was closed in 1975, and was almost demolished. But pressure from campus and community leaders salvaged North Hall. $11 million was used to restore the building through state and private funding. In 1996 North Hall reopened as a library, providing state-of-the-art technology." 

Thankfully, this wondrous creation was saved… 

And yet another amazing creation of aesthetic beauty - Straughn Hall; named after Mansfield's first "president," William Straughn.  The auditorium can seat up to 1167 people.  An outstanding building and regrettably I didn't take any photos while inside.  (next time!)  I am not able to find much information on the origination of opening or construction of this exquisite theatre, but I did find a photo that was dated 1929. 

Chelsea navigates her way just outside the Student Center in order to pick up her ID and finalize the day's agenda before heading home. 

As I waited for her, I photographed this beautiful planetarium, The Grant Science Center.  I can't wait to come back and explore these buildings more closely! 

Chelsea looks happy and content here.  I believe she is ready to get started NOW!! 

Thank you, Chelsea for allowing me the opportunity to explore your new school with you, my love.  And thank you for obliging me by listening to my words of advice, even though I know you'll make the best decisions for yourself, it's just the mom in me that feels compelled to impart my own knowledge.  It's what moms do.  I had a wonderful time with you!  I am eager for you to dig your heels in and set off on this next exciting chapter in your life.  I want you to do your best and continue to shine your beautiful, creative light.  The world needs you and your vision.  It's time to put the past behind you and GO forth in confidence, diligence, and show us ALL what you got!!  :)

I love you. 

love,

mom

P.s. Aug 23 can't come fast enough! Yay!!!