What am I doing with my life? It’s a question nearly everyone has asked themselves at some point. I, Annie Hippen, find myself at a pivotal moment like being high up in an airplane, ready to skydive into the unknown. I have no idea what my journey will look or feel like, but I know it’s about to begin. As I prepare for college at University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire, I’m filled with both excitement and uncertainty, and I am thrilled to be sharing this experience with you along the way. Join me in this adventure of turning the unknown into something real.
May 8, 2025 – Leaving the Nest
My family has eight members, with my 28-year-old sister, Kara, being the engine and me, Birdie (what my family
calls me), being the caboose with 4 others in between. Our old home phone’s voicemail used to say in a static quality, “You’ve reached Scott, Marcia, Kara, Kevin, Shannon, Maggie, Molly, Birdie at the Hippen Jungle. Leave a message after the beep!” Being the runt of the pack, I have watched each sibling pack up their belongings and move out. I have watched each room in the house become a museum of their childhood, seeing their old decorations collecting dust on the wall, leaving my parents and me in a house echoing with the empty space. Since then, we have sold our eight passenger minivan that at a time would take us on our camping road trips with our pop up camper hitched to the back.
With this being my senior year, I have slowly come to the realization that I, too, will be leaving my childhood room behind in a little less than four months. I will be leaving the home where I was brought home from the hospital, and where I’ve sought safety and comfort for nearly 18 years. I also have the strangest role of being the one to make my parents become empty nesters, which is ironic since I’m called Birdie. Although they are incredibly excited for my success and this new turn of the leaf, they have also started to mourn the loss of our trio at home. These next four months of preparation, I know, will be full of lasts, but now I enter the journey of turning it into something sweet and full of excitement. Having dinner with my parents at our favorite restaurants, going on walks with my mom to different coffee shops, watching our favorite shows, and truly cherishing each and every second of my lasting moments of being a child.
May 16, 2025- My Corner
Deep into my childhood home is where you’ll find my little nook, or my bedroom, filled with the things I love. Music albums, movie quotes, flowers that have been long dried up, books, and more things make up a gallery of my mind lining the walls, desks, and dressers. I have spent hours personalizing my corner of the house with random trinkets I find around my house, at vintage stores, and even handmade. One of my favorite things about my room is sharing it with others. Watching my friend’s and family’s faces as they admire my bedroom that I have spent so much time on, not only shows me they admire my sense of art, but more importantly, they admire my mind. The quotes they now read on my wall are the quotes that I once read, appreciating it enough to have a permanent place in my heart and on my walls. I now get to experience that same feeling of making a square with a bed and desk into a place I love at college. A place where, at the end of the day, I can come back to for peace and comfort, being surrounded by my favorite quotes and a glimpse back into my nook back at home.
Now I know that my future roommate, friends, teammates, and family will walk into my dorm room in Kaarlgard Towers in a certain room number I don’t know yet. At this point, I don’t know what quotes, music albums, and trinkets will take up my half of the room. I am unsure what clothes will overfill my wardrobe, but I know I will try my best to make it my little nook of University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire.
