As the year is slowly coming to an end, I can't help but look back to the crazy and fun past 10 months. Technically I still have my last week of finals, but it is practically the end. The time surely flew by and before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye to all the memories that I have made. It was a year that had predicted the most visual change in my life in such a short matter of time.

The night prior to moving in, I could not sleep at all. I kept unpacking and repacking all of my things, because I was overthinking everything I thought I needed. Besides the fact that I was driving myself insane, my parents were so overwhelmed with me. I was the first child to leave for college so it was a new experience for all of us. My check-in time was 8 A.M. on a Sunday, which meant we had to leave my home at the brink of dawn. Who knew it would be so hard to leave your childhood home, to trade it for a whole new level of independence. Maybe it was due to the lack of sleep, but if I am completely honest, the moment I walked into my dorm, I instantly regretted my decision. I didn't verbally let anyone know, but my family could tell by the look on my face. I was scared of having to venture out to a new school, new friends, and missing the comforts of home.

As time went on, it all became easier. This was the beginning of the rest of my life. I didn't have familiar faces guiding me to the right decisions, but I managed to cross the challenges. Before I knew it, college became a new home. It didn't necessarily replace my old home, but it was more like an additional home was gained.

Don't get me wrong, there were a few nights I longed being at home watching Netflix with my siblings, while eating a tub of ice cream. But I found my new friends that feel like family. It's crazy how the world works and you meet people that feel like you have known a lifetime, while you are bursting out laughing at 3 A.M.

Reflecting back to it all, one of my biggest fears was having to live out my own decisions. In college, you are not just a student anymore, you are choosing the path of becoming an adult. Given that it feels like you are being asked to stir a car with a blindfold, it's not easy, but regardless, you discovered that this has been one of the best years of your life. Through the early sounds of your alarm clock ringing to wake you up after only three hours of sleep, the dreadful essays, or the anxiety-driven exams; this year gave you more than you could have asked for.

It was partially easy to adapt because UC Merced isn't such a large campus, so everything became familiar. And there are faces you get to see on a day-to-day basis. Also, the beautiful sunsets here are something you could never get anywhere else. It's not where you thought you would be, but it is where you needed to be. It was a year full of personal growth and many memories that will remain in my heart. So thank you, UC Merced for becoming a home away from home. I'll be back in the fall anticipating what you have in store for me.

"After all we are made of earth and even it goes through seasons."

- Christopher Poindexter