Dear Freshman Year,

Well, you're done now. You're all done. Finals are over, I'm unboxing my belongings at home, and am cuddling with my puppy, completely content with life.

Except, not really.

I didn't realize there would be so much work once I left you. All the organizing, separating things to go back in the fall from things I need over the summer, and chores that are now my responsibility again. I mean, who thinks about doing a family's worth of dishes or vacuuming three floors of a house while they're sitting cozily in a dorm room?

I mean, don't get me wrong, there were some things I didn't like so much about you. All the school work, studying, and dining hall food (thanks, Sodexo) I probably could have done without. But you piled it high, and I had to rise to the occasion every day. Some days were better: we had fun hanging out with friends in their dorms, watching movies and getting late-night. It was all so worth the long walk back to my dorm at 2 AM.

You gave me memories that I will cherish for all my life and friendships that I couldn't imagine being without. With some work, you also helped to strengthen friendships with high school friends that were super far away (sending memes will always be my favorite form of communication).

I think most importantly, you also brought me to my acapella group on campus at the exact right time. I hated you in the beginning of the year, I wanted to get away from you, and I spent a lot of nights torn, whether I should actually leave you or not. Then, in the eleventh hour, I had an opportunity to get involved in a music group, specifically an all female acapella group (the ONLY one on campus, which we like to advertise), and I got in. Within no time, those girls became my family.

From this point, the year flew by.

Thanksgiving, Winter Break, Spring Break, and finally summer vacation. All things I desperately looked forward to, yet now wish I hadn't rushed. I looked forward to going home so much sometimes that I forgot that I really have so little time here, and it deserves my attention and enjoyment equally. If I could do one thing differently with you, it would probably be living more in the moment.

Oh freshman year, you were a roller coaster. There were some tough moments when being away from certain people felt like I was being crushed under a tremendous weight, and there were times I felt like I would never feel a better moment than the exact moment I was in. There are so many things about you that I'll definitely miss, but for right now it's time to recharge and relax.

(I'll be back to school soon enough, and I'll be ready to make so many new memories with my favorite people in one of my favorite places.)

With Love,

Julie