To the lovely ladies of the Sigma Kappa Villa,

If someone asked me three years ago if I ever saw myself living in a sorority house, I would have probably burst out laughing at the thought. But after joining this chapter as a freshman, I decided to give it a chance for my third year at Rutgers. When I first moved in I was nervous. I mean, 36 girls under one roof? What could possibly go wrong?

It was only about a month into the school year that this house; a house I have been coming in and out of for the past two years, became my home. There truly is something to be said for that moment when you look around where you are living and it no longer feels like a temporary school situation, but a legitimate home. The comfort and warmth that emanates from this house is really unlike any other. Maybe it's the slightly dim living room (because we are all too lazy to change that one damn light bulb above the couch) or maybe it's the sound of the door closing down the hall, and the footsteps that follow that remind us that there is always someone nearby, ready to ask how your exam went or catch up on the weekend's events. Maybe it's the fact that the front staircase is always a sauna when the dryer is running or that there's always a playlist blasting from someone's shower. It's a lot of really little, irrelevant things that can turn a house into a home.

I wont lie, when you join a sorority, not all 150 girls become your BFFs. They are your sisters, and you have a lot in common, but any sorority girl that tells you she knows everything about her entire sisterhood is just bluffing. When I moved in, there were probably about 18 girls I knew really really well, and the others were new members or sisters I only saw when we had mandatory events or chapter. Now I can confidently say that all 36 of these girls have a really special place in my life, and I know that next year when it's some of the same 36 but a lot of new girls living here, I will be able to build relationships with them that I never would have if we didn't all live under the same roof.

The memories I have from this past year are ones that I will cherish forever. Waking up across the room from my best friend, instantly jumping into the recap of our night and planning where we are going to breakfast is probably the best thing to wake up to, ever. Getting out of bed and going down to the living room to see the "marination station" in full effect never ceased to bring a smile to my face. Sitting down at the kitchen table, looking around and seeing my sisters studying, talking, laughing, doing whatever they do, but all together is really a heartwarming thing. Cracking inside jokes at chapter, posting hilarious things on our house Facebook group, bringing leftovers home to share while sitting on the floor and watching reruns of the Kardashians are just a few of our favorite things to do.

I'm totally aware at how corny and cookie-cutter sorority girl this article must sound. But until you experience it, you just don't understand it. I never did, until this year. Although I'm sad to be leaving for the summer, I know that when August comes around and I move back in the broken coffee table will still be here, the Christmas lights above the TV will still be hanging, and every part of this house will still feel like my home.

See you next year. Xoxoxo.