I fell in love with the town of Athens, Ohio and Ohio University during my first visit in the spring of 2012.
When I made my move that fall, I was full of nerves finding my footing as an adult on my own in a town where I knew no one. But in finding my way around town, I also found myself.
I made new friends, and I lost friends. I chased after a romantic prospect I should've ran away from. I lived with a roommate I didn't get along with.
I experienced football games, Fests and of course Halloween. I called a friend from my bathroom after taking too many shots on an empty stomach, certain that I was going to die.
Athens is where I made mistakes and was forced to grow up, and I will forever be indebted to that town for that.
When I finished my coursework in 2013, I did everything I could to stay in Athens. I tried to renew my graduate assistantship, and when that failed, I applied to the city's newspaper. When I ran out of options, I was heartbroken to leave my new home, even though I hadn't been there a full calendar year.
This past January, my parents and I went back for a weekend — my first trip back since leaving in 2013. We went to a hockey game at Bird Arena and had dinner at Big Mamma's Burritos. We went to the Ridges to enjoy some site seeing and the beautiful scenery.
Though the building where I struggled through my strenuous course load still stood, the Scripps School of Journalism found a new home in a building across campus. I toured the halls and classes of both, remembering my own time in the former building and appreciating all the upgrades in the new one.
To OU's current journalism students, you guys have it good!
Most recently, I briefly had the opportunity to move back. An opening was available at the city's newspaper, and they contacted me to see if I would still be interested. I mean, what Bobcat wouldn't be interested in going back?
So last week, I drove out to Athens and spent the day. I interviewed for the position, I visited an old supervisor on campus, I stopped for coffee at my usual location, I took a stroll down Court Street and grabbed dinner and drinks with friends at our old favorite spot.
It felt so good to be back in Athens, though not a single face on the street did I recognize.
Unfortunately I couldn't take the job, and I won't be moving back to Athens anytime soon. I was heartbroken to have made that decision, but that's okay.
My time in Athens prepared me for the rest of the world — both personally and professionally — and it doesn't have to be printed on my return address labels to still be my home. Athens is already filled with so many memories for me, and I know it's only a drive away to make more.
