As I’m currently writing this, I’m sitting on the steps of the Scripps Outdoor Amphitheater listening to "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The sun is shining in my eyes, and it’s 64 degrees outside. And I couldn’t be happier.

Do you know that feeling where you just look at a place and feel familiar and accepted? Like you’ve found a place that fits the definition of home more than anywhere else in the world? That’s Ohio University to me.

I never really considered OU until two months into my senior year of high school. I was dead-set on attending a big, prestigious school, like Arizona State University, New York University or University of Miami (Florida). Even if I was an in-state student, the tuition prices were frankly unreasonable. I had decided that I was going to major in journalism, and my dad suggested that I look into the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. He had talked to many of his customers at work and they mentioned great things about OU and its programs. I scheduled a visit and not realizing it at the moment, I had made one of the best decisions of my life.

When I visited the campus for the first time in September of 2015, it was dark, chilly, and the rain was coming down in big, fat drops. I was wearing sandals and my feet were soaked from trekking in the endless puddles. My mom forgot an umbrella and didn’t have a water-resistant jacket. And my dad was wearing shorts and complaining about the rainy breeze. But even as dreary and gloomy as it was outside, I fell in love with campus more and more with every step I took. You know it’s true love when it’s completely morbid outside and the campus is still attractive.

There’s something about the way the red bricks draw you in. From the streets to the buildings, it’s unlike any other college I had seen—pictures don’t and will never do it justice. At this point, I had only visited the University of Cincinnati and had a visit scheduled with Kent State a few weeks later. Growing up near Yellow Springs, Ohio, Athens reminded me of the quaint, small-town charm that YS has that I loved so dearly. As the tour continued, I thought less and less about big cities and prestigious names; I thought about the diversity of the new friends I would make, the great local food options, the clubs I would join, and the campus I would soon call home. Touring the classrooms, dorms and Court Street made me more excited for college than I had ever been before. Not only are the students and staff so friendly, but the locals are so vibrant and welcoming. It was so refreshing to see that the students shared as strong a love for Athens and the University as the townies did. Once I returned home, I canceled my visit to Kent State and sent in my only college application to Ohio University.

The first meal I had in Athens was at Court Street Diner. Little did I know that I would soon spend meals here bonding with friends in between study sessions, after roaming Court and Mill, and after weekends apart. Good food and good friends—what could be better?

Not only did the benefits of the campus make me more attracted to Athens, but what surrounds the area as well. Stroud’s Run, Hocking Hills, Bong Hill, the Hocking River, bike paths galore—it’s a nature lover’s paradise. With so many sports and clubs affiliated with OU, I could never be bored either. Football games spent sweating under the sun, getting a mouthful of water at wakeboarding practice, slaving over homework and studying for hours at Alden, and unwinding on Mill Street replay in my mind as some of the best memories I’ve collected thus far.

I’ve grown so much as an individual since I’ve been at Ohio University. I’ve discovered things about me that I love, and they make up who I am. College changes you as a person, regardless of what school you attend. The environment you surround yourself in makes the biggest impact. Athens is so diverse and so accepting—why wouldn’t I want to better myself surrounded by endless beauty and support of those close to me? The professors really care, the friends I’ve gathered are there for eternity. The memories I’ve made have made my life up to this point full of vivacity, love and opportunity. I’m forever grateful to OU.