As freshman year is finishing up, I’m slowly realizing how much this opportunity has helped me grow as a person. I am so thankful to have gotten the chance to get away from the town I grew up in and experience life away from home. I wouldn’t have survived without these people.
My roommate. She was my very first friend here at school. Picking a roommate is pretty scary if you think about it. The whole concept is like online dating, and you won't know if you’re “catfished” until you actually start living with them. Thankfully, I got lucky. Over time, her and I have grown so much together. There were nights we stayed up so late talking together about school, gossiping, venting, and anything else you can think of. We’ve spent almost every free moment together, and thankfully, it worked out in our favor. Without her, I wouldn’t know as many people as I do, I wouldn’t have enjoyed every weekend like a college kid should, and I wouldn’t have a best friend to lean on when times get tough. We’ve spent many days and nights frustrated and crying together over different challenges life was throwing at us, but we managed to get through them together. Thank you for taking care of me on nights we went out and had a little too much fun, for going to the library at all hours and helping me study, for motivating me to eat healthily and go to the gym, for convincing me that the boy wasn’t worth being upset over, and for showing me what a good time was. Thank you for becoming a life long best friend.
My team. Some girls join sororities, some girls are a part of a team, some belong to clubs, and some don’t get involved with things on campus, and that’s okay. For me, sports come naturally. I was a part of different teams in high school, so I figured, why not in college? The second semester I decided that I could better myself by being a part of a team. By joining a team, it limited my free time. Whether that free time was spent having fun or doing school work, some hours out of my week were being occupied. Being a part of a team has expanded my social life. I have met so many great girls, and great people through my them as well. I got to meet girls of all different ages in college and hear about what they were going through. The sport I play is more of a Northern thing. Being that I go to a Southern school, many who are from here don’t know much of it, and so many of the girls on my team come from places around my hometown. Knowing that has helped me so much, because I see those girls getting through different challenges on there on, and it’s another reminder that I can do that as well. I cannot thank them enough for accepting me and taking me in as one of their own. I’ve grown so close with some of them and found lifelong friends throughout the word ‘team’ as well.
My friends from home. I miss you – I have missed you since we all separated back in August. Coming home on breaks was great, but let’s be honest. We all know that was not enough time. It’s really weird having to adjust to a different lifestyle of not seeing your best friends every day when that’s all you’ve been used to for the past six years. I cannot thank you all enough for being a text, phone call, or FaceTime away when it’s most needed. I cannot wait to be back home, screwing around and having a good time doing stupid stuff back in the small hometown of ours. Throughout these last few months, I’ve realized to never take any moments with you for granted because we are no longer five to 15 minutes away from each other. Thank you for being you, because without you, I wouldn’t have a support system I can lean on from back home.
My friends here. I’m so thankful for meeting you. Coming here, I was so nervous about finding friends. Luckily, I got blessed with finding ones just as great here as they are back home. All I know at school is life with you. Whether it’s eating dinner together, watching movies, going shopping, or going downtown, it’s all I’ve gotten to know. Winter break was short, so I knew not seeing you for a few days would be okay… but let’s be honest. I’m not ready for summer. I get to see my friends back home, but now I have to be separated from you (which is just as bad as leaving them). I can’t imagine life without you here at school. Thank you for taking care of me and helping my roommate, for going to the dining hall right after you already ate, for going out with me when you probably shouldn’t, or finally convincing me to go out on a night I didn’t want to. Freshman year has been so fun, and because of you, I already cannot wait to be back in the fall.
My parents. The words ‘thank you’ just don’t do justice. Because of you, I got this incredible opportunity. Going so far way to college was probably the best thing you could have ever let me do. By doing so, I got to learn on my own without your guidance. I’ve grown so much over these past few months. I started realizing that over winter break. Going back and seeing the life kids my age are living who haven’t left home and comparing it to mine is so strange. I never realized how different the two lives are until then. Yeah, we’re both in college. But going away on your own gives you an opportunity to grow and mature in a different way. YOU are the reason I got to do this, so thank you. I would never have made it if you weren’t there for me through the crying phone calls about what to do when something went wrong, or a FaceTime when I was missing home. Being home for the summer is going to be weird. I’m a different person now. I’ve matured so much. As this year finishes up, I want you to know that I busted my butt these past two semesters trying to make you happy with everything I did. I hope I made you proud. I do everything on my own now, but I am still your little girl, so please don’t forget that. I want to enjoy every moment, because time flies, so let’s make the best of it.
The experience. Fall of my senior year in high school is when I decided to go away to school. I knew eight hours was long, but you don’t realize how far it is until something happens at home and you can’t make it back in time. Everyone kept telling me how proud of me they were for making such a big decision, and I could never understand why. I always thought to myself, “What’s the big deal? Many kids do it, so why can’t I?” Being away, it helped me realize that many kids can do it, but many kids can’t, and I finally understood why. Kids from back home who are going to community or choosing another path in life think it’s not a big deal, but it’s so much more than they think it is. You never realize how challenging the situation can be until you’re in it yourself. I believe that going away has made me grow as a person. I’ve learned to manage my time appropriately. I didn’t have my parents telling me to get my work done, or asking me how my paper is going. Those simple things are something you have to learn to do on your own. You don’t think it’s a big deal, but you get your assignment a month away from the due date, a few weekends out go by, and the next thing you know your paper is due in two days. You don’t have your mom telling you when to wash your sheets, clean your room, do your laundry, and to stop eating all the junk food. Those are things you have to learn on your own as well. They are simple concepts, but you don’t realize how much you are being told to do when you are at home versus when you go away. When you get sick, you need to decide to go to the doctor on your own. You need to get that medicine on your own, and you need to discipline yourself enough to take it on schedule so it’s effective. The littlest things make the biggest difference when you don’t have someone there watching over you making sure you get those things done the right way on time. You mature as a person physically, mentally, and emotionally, and it is the best thing I have every chose to do.
They say that it’s great having something so hard saying goodbye to, but I don’t know how great it is when you have two things that are hard leaving. As this year comes to an end, I’m so torn about going back home. Going home is going to be great, but leaving school is going to be so hard. I feel so lucky and blessed to have two amazing places to call home. I’m so thankful for everyone that has been a part of this amazing journey, so thank you & I love you. It wouldn’t be the same without my incredible support systems.
