You know how people say that Disney World is the happiest place on Earth? Well, I think they just haven't been to Virginia Tech. I know that may be a stretch, because Disney World is, well, Disney, but Virginia Tech is my happiest place on Earth. I say that with caution because I was raised in Virginia Beach. If you live in VB, you know it's nothing short of amazing. The beach, people, atmosphere, food ... I mean it is quite literally home to me. It's where the people I love live, and it's where I grew up. But, this past year I was able to experience life on an entirely different side of Virginia. Blacksburg, Virginia. To say it's different than Virginia Beach feels like an understatement. For starters, the closest I am to a beach at Tech is the Duck Pond. You look all around you and you are surrounded by mountains. The people, atmosphere, food ... it's all different. I grew up in a place that allowed me to be surrounded by joy and comfort, and I felt like no where else could compare. But, when I got the chance to go to Virginia Tech, it became home.

That wasn't something that instantly happened for me, though. Unlike a lot of other students who attend Tech, I am not a legacy. I am a first generation. My mom, sister and brother did not go to Tech. I wasn't raised with maroon and orange drowning my closet, and I had no idea where Blacksburg was. As I figured out where to apply to my senior year of highsSchool, I quite literally had no clue. I didn't feel prepared, and I hadn't thought about where it was that I wanted to go until I got slammed in the face with questions from guidance counselors, teachers and friends. "Where are you applying?" "Where do you want to go?" I had no idea. Don't get me wrong, college was always a part of the plan for me. I didn't know how I was going to pay or what it was going to really take, but I knew I had worked my entire life to go somewhere after high school.

College seemed like a far away dream. Being raised by a single parent made it seem like I could see that dream but would never quite actually grasp it. For more reasons than one, but mostly financial reasons. I had no idea how to navigate through college applications, scholarships, financial aid and all the other things that come along with applying to college. But somehow, here I am, a year later, writing about my how Virginia Tech changed my life. I never thought I'd get the chance to go to college, but with God's grace, here I am.

So, when I applied to Tech it was a long shot. It was not my first choice, and I had other plans. To this day, I am not quite sure what it was that drove me to apply here, but (obviously) I am glad I did. Things didn't go as planned, and I had to decide between four schools, one being Tech. I attended Hokie Focus, which is a day for accepted students to see if they actually want to go to Tech. And as my sister, mom and I traveled to a what felt like a very far away land, my mom told me something I would never forget. "If this is the school for you, you'll know right away," and I knew. The moment we approached Virginia Tech, and as I saw the the buildings, the town, the sign, it was the place for me.

I was saying before that Virginia Tech becoming home to me wasn't instant, and what I mean by that was that I was very homesick the first few days. I would cry myself to sleep and have major FOMO. I felt scared and anxious because I thought I was alone. I am so close to my family, and I felt abandoned. I felt far away and lost. But that's just who I am. I was fearful of the giant leap of being a few hours away from home, but everyone was experiencing something similar. They hadn't been to college before, and all it took was leaving the dorm room open to meet some of my best friends. Also my roommate helped a lot with the transition, and if you get lucky enough to have a roommate who motivates, supports and makes you laugh then you win, and I did. I won. Within the first week I fell in love with Virginia Tech.

I promise when I say I had never been that happy, I mean it. I had never felt so at home. I missed my people back at home, but they were going on with their lives, so I had to too. My friends were at different colleges, and I learned that that was OK. I couldn't have had an easier transition had I been anywhere but Tech. One year of college has taught me more about myself than four years of high school. Don't get me wrong, I am still learning every day, but Virginia Tech instilled a newfound passion in me. A passion for Ut Prosim, science and just being happy. You can't help being anything but happy when you walk around campus.

The people changed me. I meet some of the greatest friends of my entire life. My best friends. They are people I know will be standing beside me on my wedding day, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The strangers you see smiling as you walk around make your day. You don't ever see anyone sad, unless it's finals week (that's a different story). But people hold the door for you, and as small as that may sound, it's the little things that matter. Side note, if you hold the door open for someone and they say thank you, just say you're welcome. Being the awkward person that I am, one time someone said thank you, and I said, "Yeah, I don't know" and walked away. Anyways ... back to the point. Whether it's a professor, student, employee, anyone at all, they can tell you they're proud to be a Hokie.

The food has quite literally changed me. The freshman 15 is a real thing, beware. But how can it not be when you go to Tech? We are ranked number one for best campus food. But with that being said we are also ranked number one fittest college, so you win some, you lose some (and I'm talking about calories), but you mainly win some. Chicken parm gets me through the week; it's cruel to make us wait for alternating Wednesdays and Fridays, but if it weren't like that I'd have gained the freshman 50. Jamba Juice, Qdoba, the list goes on, and we get it half off on the dining plan. Whether it's off campus food or on campus you can't go wrong. Can somebody say Cabo Fish Taco, Green's or Bennys? Life is good at Virginia Tech.

The spirit. The spirit awoke something in me I didn't know existed. From screaming "Let's go Hokies" at the top of my lungs with my friends outside my dorm window at tour groups to jumping to "Enter Sandman" at football games, you can never be too spirited when you go to Virginia Tech. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's against the law to be anything less. My wardrobe has more Virginia Tech T-shirts than I am proud of, but I still wear them all around campus, because yeah, ask me where I go; it's definitely not Virginia Tech. Side note, one of the best things about college is the free T-shirts; anything free in college is good enough for me, but especially when I can wear it.

The weather changes its mood more than the average teenager. Although I highly suggest carrying a rain jacket, beanie and sandals all on the same day, this element of surprise that Tech brings keeps everyone on their toes. Oh, it's supposed to be 45 and windy outside walking to your 8 a.m.? Better snuggle up. Oh, you're walking out of your 8 a.m. and it's 90 and sunny? Hi back sweat, I haven't missed you. But for some reason, you love Blacksburg anyways. Because whether it's snowing, downpouring or beaming with sunlight, you feel happy and #blessed to experience all four seasons in one day. Not everyone gets that; in fact, some people would call this magic. Yes, Blacksburg is very magical.

The academics. I feel like I should put an emphasis on how much the academics have changed me. When teachers tell you that high school is nothing like college, well, they don't say it enough. When I got to Tech, I expected to be acing every course and flying through. I figured I always have, so why would this be different? Well, I got a rude awakening when I spent all nighters writing chemistry lab reports. There is no pain like chemistry lab reports, but I survived (barely). The great thing about this is I learned that I need to stop procrastinating and how serious college is. Yes, have fun, but also prioritize your school work. No, you cannot write that 15 page report the day before (trust me, I tried). I know you think you can, you feel invincible, but when it's 6 in the morning and you can hear the Cadets waking up, you know you've made a mistake. The academics at Tech have taught me that real hard work will give me real results. You can't just get an A, you have to earn it. You can't even just get that B, you really have to earn it. The great thing about Tech is how much the professors care. They want you to succeed. They give you a syllabus, office hours and lay out what it is that you need to do in order to do well, but you have to put in the effort. Eventually you learn the academics at Tech require a lot of hours, determination, passion and more coffee than you'd like to admit (Thank God for Dunkin' being on campus).

Virginia Tech made me realize that I want to pursue service and leadership. I want to be a part of every 3.2 for 32 run, every Big Event, every Relay for Life. I want to lead others, and I want more people to see the beauty in being a Hokie. There's nothing quite like it. It has made me feel a sense of joy that I didn't know existed. The campus is picture perfect, the people are warm hearted and it is home. I feel a sense of pride and joy that I go here that not just anyone can understand. It's something special that we Hokies feel, and I feel lucky to go here every day.

"For those who have passed, for those to come, reach for excellence."

Love,

Your average everyday Virginia Tech obsessed Hokie