[ohMycron]

The Next Day Came and I looked at my list:
*Cycling
*Swimming
* Basketball
* Volleyball.

I was semi-crushed. After being at Gymnastics yesterday, I was in love with them! And they had dropped me!

I tried to re-coup. After all, I still had four houses which was four more than many girls. And, I really liked 3/4 of my houses, and was going to give Swimming another chance.

That was my first house. It was philanthropy day and I can't say what we did for swimming because it would give the sorority away. It was really cool though. However, that house was just too big for me! There were way too many girls and I didn't feel a connection either with any of them or between them. I think I decided right then and there that I didn't want to be a Swimming. (Although Michael Phelps is pretty terrific.)

The next house was Volleyball. Volleyball had a much smaller group of girls (both of PNMs and active sisters) and it was extremely refreshing after feeling lost at Swimming. The Philanthropic Chair talked for a bit at the beginning about the local philanthropies they had chosen and the PNMs did two different crafts. I made buttons for one cause and made a quilt square for another. I really felt I fit in here. It was weird, because this was NOT a top tier house and I knew it. I knew if I joined this house my sorority experience would be different. I wasn't quite sure if that was what I wanted. However, I LOVED how I felt around both the PNMs (well, some of them) who had returned and the actives. I felt very at home.

I emerged from the Cycling House covered in paint, but in a really good mood. I'd had an excellent time. The sister I was with was really chatty and we got along really, really well. The craft they did requires knowing their philanthropy and that would just give it away, wouldn't it?

Basketball was EXCELLENT. We made bookmarks for children and had a lot of time to talk about what they did with their philanthropies. The sister I was with was really excited about it and her excitement was contagious. I really liked this house and was seriously considering pleding Basketball.

I went home and ranked my card as follows (we were allowed three houses).

1. Basketball
1. Cycling
1. Volleyball
2. Swimming.

it was actually a pretty easy decision. My Rho Chi looked a little surprised when I handed her my card. Swimming was a top tier house and I was picking a bottom-tier and mid-tier over it. I just explained to her how lost I felt at Swimming and she nodded. "Good choice," she said and (knowing how it turned out) I know it was.