Dear UGA Freshman Dorms (specifically Russell Hall),

You will be remembered, but not always missed. Like many students at the University of Georgia, I will never have to experience living in a shoebox with communal bathrooms ever in my life again (hopefully). When I moved in on that first day of August like every other newcomer, I was surprised with the room that resembled more of a jail cell than an apartment with the concrete walls and twin beds pushed against them on either side. I knew no one on my hall, and everything was just foreign to me. I wondered to myself if I made the wrong decision that day

Let me just say though, I'm glad I stuck it out. You turned out to not be so bad. It turns out when you fill that new room with your stuff from home and you have an artsy roommate that is good at decorating, your room might just remind you more of a Pinterest pin rather than an excuse to go home for the weekend. As the months went by and my confidence in the choice of school I made steadily went up, pictures from them memories I was making started to amass on my wall. With each picture, each new piece added to my colltection, it became more like home to me.

That first week was hard, and there were a lot of open doors leading to new faces, ones I had never met before. The awkward encounters and small-talk with people actually just like me turned into my hall road-tripping (5 minutes away) to get banana milkshakes together. That was the moment I knew. There would be some unforgettable people I would meet that all lived within a hundred feet of me. I am so thankful for my dorm bringing me some of my closest friends. I will never forget the late night burger runs to Cook-Out, the movie nights, and the shared clothes. I will always remember the secrets, the tears, jokes, and the boosts that we gave each other when we got ready to go out Friday nights. Thank you for the co-ed floors, something that the other high-rises didn't have. That gave me a couple of the best guy friends I made this year. Though, sharing the kitchen with them was not that great, especially when guys somehow made macaroni and cheese explode all over the kitchen floor. I am also so thankful that I was paired with my roommate. She put up with my ranting, and we always had late-night talks that reminded me I wasn't alone in this, being away from everything I knew for the first time.

I can even say, I have great memories from inside that communal shower. That radio that was always set to pop songs, loud at small hours of the night caused random dance parties that were somehow always interrupted by randoms passing by in the halls. Shower shoes were the worst of it, but it wasn't even that bad. By the third week, everyone had their "own" favorite shower, and mine (the last one!) wasn't that bad. I adapted easily to something I thought would be a nightmare.

Let's not forget that Brumby hill! Yes, Russell residents like me had to live with it as well. We all had those days where we took the long bus route just not to walk up that hill, but that hill was essentially in sculpting that booty! Though, I cannot say I will miss walking up it though, especially from trips to Bolton that ended in birthday cake ice cream.

Well, peace out freshman year. I cannot believe the freshman for 2017 will not get to experience the dorm that I lived in, but it is about time to be renovated! This year was the 50th year Russell had been open. I will always remember the old you, though. I will remember all of the awkward elevator rides, the Sunday laundry hassles, the late-night walks from downtown back to the dorm, and the free food and shirts that always seemed to be in the lobby. I hope every freshman gets to have the amazing experience I did in the dorm at least once in their college careers (It's not that bad! I swear!).

Sincerely,

Sad Sophomore