As much as I love the people that come with home, like my family and friends, I can't stand where I live. The area I'm from is mostly working class, with limited job opportunities and few things to do for fun. Having lived there my entire life, I've gotten bored of it. I've always been extremely filled with wanderlust, but I also have a huge attachment to New England.

When looking for colleges, I agreed with my parents to stay within driving distance, but I didn't want to be too close to home where I could come home every weekend. I wanted independence. Ultimately, I decided to go to a small Catholic college four hours from home. And, I love it here. After the initial first year homesickness, I have grown to love my school as a home -- sometimes even more than I love my hometown. I just needed to say thank you.

Thank you for introducing me to some of the people I know I'll love for life.

I'm so blessed to have come to a school where I've found so many friends and a wonderful boyfriend. Whether I met them orientation weekend, in a seminar, or in the dorm halls, I've found some of the best people around. The connections I've made with these people are ones I know I'll have for a long time.

Thank you for the academic opportunity.

As a self-proclaimed nerd, thank you for your academics. Sure, I've groaned at the core classes I've had to take for the liberal arts, but I've learned to love a lot of the subjects I wouldn't have even bothered to try before, like sociology. The higher-level courses for my major may be hard, but the outcome of my hard work reminds me that it's worth it. My classes are so interesting, and so worthy of my effort. Every day I'm reminded how much I love my program.

Thank you for having an awesome faculty.

Between the assistant deans, the resident directors, professors, janitorial staff and cafeteria workers, I love the people that work at my school. It's so easy to have a good relationship with my professors (who know all of their students on a first name basis), and everyone loves going to breakfast in the morning to say hello to one of our favorite cafeteria workers. The faculty at my school cares so much about its students and our well-being, and I appreciate it so much.

Thank you for amazing scenery.

I have the mountains on one side of me, and the beautiful city on the other. I love the physical location of my school tremendously, and there's always something to do. With local shopping, coffee shops, and outdoor adventures like hiking, or visiting the lake, we're never bored here. It's literally a breath of fresh air.

Thank you for being another home.

Thank you for being a place where I feel safe, happy, and successful. Thank you for bringing good people into my life, and for making school feel like another home. I know I only have two years left here, but I will forever be grateful for the experiences and opportunities you've given me to grow as a person.