Goodbyes are never easy. All the goodbyes I've experienced have been short term, saying goodbye to my friends while they were at camp or saying goodbye to my parents as they took a vacation. Never have I had to say goodbye and know that I would not see the person for months at a time. So how did I handle these goodbyes?

The first goodbye was the hardest. I stood there, hugging a friend crying in their arms, not wanting to let go, with the knowledge that this may just be the last time I would see them as they have an extremely busy work schedule while I’m home on breaks. I couldn’t imagine going a couple months without seeing this person let alone a year, maybe four, maybe more. All I could think about was all the memories shared, all the challenges we encountered and all the things we’ve accomplished. I was so proud in our relationship and it seemed as if it taken from me just like that.

Each goodbye slowly became easier, friend after friend. I began to pretend as if I would see them the next day or week, and with that I had no problem saying adios. One of my dearest friends was leaving for nearly a month and all I said to her was a simple see you soon! We were like peanut butter and jelly, not in the sense that we did everything together, but that we shared everything with each other. This would be my first big step without her by my side. We started high school together, gossiped about our first dates, started our first jobs, even started college at the community college! And here I was without my partner in crime. I was clueless. My identity seemed to disappear.

The next goodbye went very similar. We kept it simple, but we planned to see each other again, it didn’t happen… We shared a great last day together, shopping and watching a hilarious movie, our go-to activity together. We laughed until our stomachs hurt, or maybe it was the popcorn. Whatever it was, it was great. This time, my friend begged to see my room, and it felt as if she was actually there. She had gone away to school the year before, and knew exactly how I was feeling and what I was going through. She watched how my “pile” grew and grew, gave me advice on what to buy and I elected her as my supervisor. I couldn’t imagine what I would do without her assistance my first day.

It was time to say goodbye to my last best friend, by this point I just pretended I wasn’t leaving at all. We too saw a movie, Nerve. It takes nerve to see that movie, I laughed as we both were on the edge of our chair the entire time. It wasn’t a scary movie but with all the new changes it seemed so intense. After the movie I took her home, we looked at each other and before I knew it I was backing out of her driveway for the last time for months. I remembered how many times I got lost going to her house and how often I would have to call and ask for help. I realized that she was always there for me no matter how dumb the situation may be.

After saying goodbye to all my friends, I had to face my family. I don’t think I could be any closer with my family. In my eyes, family is everything and comes before anything. They are constantly encouraging me to take risks and develop my interests, hobbies, and skills. First came my Grandma aka Nana. After being treated to my favorite meal at Bucca di Beppo, my nana visited and we had a casual conversation and just hung out. It didn’t hit me until she went to leave, I had bought her a pin that said, “BGSU Nana” she saw it and commented she would wear it everyday. Then she told me how she couldn’t find a card for going away to school and seemed so frustrated. It was hilarious.

The next day I moved into this fine institution, and with that my parents had to leave me. My parent’s are some of my greatest friends. They have shaped me into who I am today and all I aim for is to make them proud, and be more like them. It took nearly all day to get settled, and once I was I begged that they wouldn't leave me. I gave them a final hug and then I realized Niagra Falls was about to fall out of my eyes. I thought about who would lead me, help me when I’m lost, laugh at my horrible jokes or even ask about my day. Then it hit me.

I joined this BGSU class of 2020 page on FaceBook, and by doing so met an awesome person, we met up for dinner that first night and immediately hit it off. We had been texting for several weeks, but meeting in person is always a little different. I couldn’t believe how much in common we had, it was like we were separated at birth or something. We couldn’t stop laughing or smiling, it was something that I thought would take time, but here it was!

As my first week here comes to a close I learned that while you may say several goodbyes, but there will also be many more hello’s, everyone here is going through the same thing and it’s all new. All I have to say is we’re all in this together. We are going to slay it, crush it and nail it. Let’s do this Class of 2020!