College fashion week felt like an eternity jammed into one short weekend.
Day one tested our patience, street smarts and devotion to Her Campus. At 7 a.m., we started off in the Boston airport catching up on homework and guzzling cups of coffee recovering from a two-hour-long night’s rest. Hours passed, and the steady caffeine buzz followed us into the city as Boston became our weekend home.
Our housing was not available until later that afternoon, so we killed time crying in a movie theater watching “A Star Is Born.” The shocking, tragic film prepared us for the news we were about to receive: our hotel reservations were lost.
For the following five hours, we roamed the streets, occasionally fighting a telephone battle with the hotel and toting along all of our belongings for the weekend in the frigid wind.
Plans fell into place before dark, and to make up for the inconveniences, we scored two rooms in an old, beautiful hotel in the heart of downtown for no additional cost.
I felt like a young Macaulay Culkin in “Home Alone 2: Lost In New York.”
The rollercoaster of events did not discourage our troop of six. That night, we fell asleep full of delivery pizza and hopes of an exciting day to come.
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Day two went very differently. The six of us dressed to our best and hopped down the streets of Boston as quickly as we woke up that morning. After grabbing a hardy breakfast in a nearby diner, we took in all that the city had to offer. Productive brainstorming sessions in a warm coffee shop, a tram ride to an art gallery and a swift walk past The Boston Globe made for a media student’s dream day.
Finally, we made our way to the fashion week event, and my already-high expectations were exceeded.
The energy was fun and empowering, and the “real models” slogan came to life on the runway. Ulta services provided glittery eye makeup and funky hair styling for extra boosts of confidence.  Stylish students from far and wide took pictures of one another for perfect Instagram moments.
Her Campus created a miniature girl-supporting-girl world. Not to mention, the goodie bags blew my mind.
My college fashion week experience was a whirlwind of ups and downs. I am thankful for the stories, confidence and inspiration (and free makeup) that I got to take home with me.