It seems like just yesterday I was packing up my car and saying goodbye to my friends to come to college. To think that in just two days I will be packing up my car saying goodbye to my college friends is even crazier. As I start to pack up my dorm room, that I learned to call home, I thought about what a great year it has been.

Just nine short months ago, I was in my car on my way to St. Bonaventure freaking out in the back seat. I was scared about not making as good of friends, about my classes, about leaving my family, and, yes, even the community bathroom. Over the last nine months, though, my dorm room became my home, my roommate became my best friend, I fell in love with my major and I made friends that are more like family.

I learned a whole lot more this year than just the seven steps of the intellectual journey or how to pick apart an argument in Comp. and Crit. I learned how to live on my own, that being independent is a great thing, and that caffeine is a necessity. I learned when the best time is to do your laundry (and how long I can really go without doing it) and when the best times are to eat at the Hickey. I learned that the freshmen 15 is a real thing (so watch out), that unlike high school you have to study, but one bad grade isn’t going to ruin your whole life, that taking time for the little things you enjoy will make all the difference, to value alone time, that missing out sometimes is okay, and time management.

Most importantly, I found my place.

There were times this year that were rough and stressful. I didn’t think I was going to make it through them. There were times that I loved and never wanted to end. There were moments I laughed so hard that I cried and I made so many memories that I will forever cherish.

St. Bonaventure has become my "home" for the past nine months. And, over the next three months, I will miss the weekends out with my best friends, dancing at the OP, Hickey omelets, dance practices, walking down the hall to see my friends, the spontaneous adventures, the late-night talks, walks on the trail and everything else in between. I will forever miss living in Fal with my best friends and I will miss the seniors I met that are off to bigger things.

Freshmen year was something else. I made the best memories with the best people. I met my best friends, I joined a team, I learned so much in my classes, I joined different clubs, I got a job, I grew as a person and I found where I am supposed to be.

As your finishing up your exams, packing up your dorm room and saying goodbye to your friends, think about all of the things that have happened this year. For some, freshman year was one of the best years of their life and for others, it could have been the worst. What really counts in the end though is what you learned this year and how you grew as a person. You’ve learned so much about yourself and what you want to be.

So goodbye, freshman year. Thanks for being a great one and for teaching me so many things. I can’t wait to start counting down the days until I will be back at my second home at the end of August and for the new memories and adventures that lie ahead for us.