As I look at the remaining tasks on the bucket list and talk to my friends about them, I have come to realize that for many of them, I am coming very late to the party! Since freshman year, I have heard friends talking about making “Wawa runs” at all hours of the evening and night. I thought it was just popular among my friends and fellow college students, but there was an article published just yesterday about the “cult of Wawa” and how “Here in the Philadelphia area, Wawa is much more than a convenience store. It is a provider, a security blanket, [and] a beacon in the dark” (philly.com, 2016)
How could I go my four years without stopping in? So without further ado, I tagged along with a friend when she made her Wawa run one night last week. A couple nights before I had a big research project and film presentation due, I was definitely in need of caffeine and a midnight snack. Wawa was certainly able to provide both! In addition to convenience store-like offerings like drinks, snacks, and coffee, Wawa has a hot food counter, speciality hot/iced beverage bar, and even a fresh pastry display. There were honestly too many choices! I ended up getting an iced coffee and turkey cheddar wrap. With those in hand, I was able to start tackling my two big projects! With my thesis due in a couple months, I’m sure I’ll be making some more Wawa runs before I leave!
About a fifteen minute walk from Suburban Station in Center City is the Franklin Institute. While the main science museum is better suited for a younger crowd, there is still plenty for adults to enjoy in the exhibits. Additionally, it houses an IMAX theater with neat documentaries and occasionally, current movies. My favorite thing about the Franklin Institute however is their visiting exhibit offerings. In one of my blogs I talked about my experience in their more recent exhibit, The 
Last April through Admissions I had the privilege of going on a Mural Arts tour around Center City with a group of admitted students and their families. Being the world’s largest collection of outdoor art, I highly recommend taking a tour of your own. The 
I’m not quite sure how, but I managed to make it to my senior year without seeing a movie at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute, an independent and community operated theater founded by a BMC alumna. Knowing I had it left on my bucket list, I bookmarked the Institute’s website at the beginning of the year and checked their schedule every so often. Last weekend I checked their calendar and was ecstatic to discover they had added four screenings of “He Named Me Malala” to their line up. I had been dying to see it, and since the only screening in the Philadelphia area was over Fall Break, I had become disappointed I would not have the opportunity to see it during its limited release. Thankfully, I was able to make one of the screenings at the Film Institute, and last Wednesday I finally saw my first film at the BMFI. It could not have been a more perfect one.
This past Friday, one of my best friends and I had to pick up some things from the grocery store that would have been too heavy to walk back to school with, so I finally faced my fear and drove! My car’s name was Dionne and at my scheduled time, all I had to do was waive my Zipcar membership card over the reader on the dashboard and voila, I had my own four wheels for an hour. It’s such a neat concept! I wasn’t used to driving a small car with a *very* sensitive gas petal, but overall, the experience was very pleasant (I hope my friend thinks so too!) and my confidence even grew a little. Now, I admit Lancaster Ave. is no Interstate 76, but baby steps. With this new found freedom, who knows where I’ll be off to next. And hey, I only received one Northeastern hello.