Although this may be the 20th post you’ve seen from me lately, I just can’t stop sharing my news. For the better part of five months I have been in the process of deciding and figuring out what I wanted to do with my life and where I needed to be. I just had this gut feeling that where I was wasn’t where I needed to be.

Once I had finally decided that I needed to change something, I couldn’t help but think about the school that I had always wanted to go to, The University of Georgia. Although I didn’t get into UGA the first time, it allowed me to attend an amazing school where I met so many of my close friends and have some truly incredible memories.

I had grown up with Athens. I had seen the town grow and expand with every football season and tailgating party. I always felt comfortable there, even now with the drastic change in campus size that I’ll experience with this transition.

The past month in general has been the most stressful to me. I had submitted my application and it was all just a waiting game. Each day I thought about how amazing it would be to be accepted finally, or how devastating it would be if I didn’t get in. My brain was running about a million miles an hour every hour of the day.

Last Friday, the 23rd, was the day UGA said they were going to release the transfer decisions, and ironically my mom and I had already planned on visiting Athens that day. All day I was shaking and just waiting for 4pm when they would update the status’ online. Finally, in that moment, I just remember seeing the fireworks on the status page and literally crying with my mom in the middle of North Campus in Athens.

It has been an emotional journey from the start. My biggest fear through this was that my doubts and a harsh reality would happen and that I wouldn’t be accepted again. Thankfully, that didn’t happen but it was the loudest thought I had through this whole process. I was then worried about the idea of transferring and starting all over again, starting fresh and new.

I know I’ll make new friends and reconnect with the people I know already at UGA, but it’s still something I worry a little about. Transferring is a choice I made, like so many other people have before me, and I am extremely excited to see where this takes me. There’s so many things that I now have the option to do that I can’t wait to try for. The possibilities are endless.

Now that I’m headed to Athens, I have a whole new red and black world to look forward to. Athens, here I come.