And just like that, my semester in the mountains has come to a close.

I'm a new England girl, raised in CT since I was four. When it was time to choose colleges I was pretty nonchalant about it. I visited a whopping total of three schools, all in NE, before choosing URI. It was perfect. At 15,000 students it was a big school but not overwhelmingly so. All the students seemed friendly and the campus was lovely, so upon getting in, that is where I went.

URI is a wonderful school, it has given me some of my best friends and numerous outrageous and cherished memories. But as sophomore year carried on, I began to feel strongly that something was missing. While many people in RI are content with the beautiful beaches, I wanted the mountains. I wanted to be able to hike to incredible views and snowboard, without needing to drive almost two hours to do so. Then I heard about the National Exchange Program that allows you to study abroad within the country. And then I heard about Montana State. Montana State University in Bozeman, MT had the mountains, and the mountains were calling, so that is where I went.

I didn't know much about Montana until about a year ago when my brother committed to the school. The western state had honestly never crossed my mind. In fact, I think I probably associated the word "Montana" more with my beloved childhood idol Hannah, than with being a state. But I knew if my adventurous brother was attending there, it had to be somewhere special. I was so breathtakingly, beautifully, and overwhelmingly correct.

So thank you, Montana, for letting me discover the hidden gem that you are. I'll try not to tell too many of your secrets, I know you don't want too many people finding out.

Thank you for the people that I've met. Never in my life have I encountered so many motivated, fascinating, charismatic, artistic, adventurous people in one place. Not just the students but the professors too. Nearly every person that I met had a passion for skiing or climbing or fishing or biking or hiking or all of the above. I met such a large number of artists and musicians, and no one was arrogant about it. Being interesting is the norm here.

Thank you for making it entirely impossible to ever be bored. With two ski mountains less than an hour away, countless places to hike such as Hyalite Canyon, a million hot springs to dip into, live music around every corner, and a national park right down the road, it's basically a crime to ever say you're bored here.

Thank you for making it incredibly easy to be a ski bum. A huge, powder-filled ski mountain 20 minutes away, Bridger Bowl, basically forces you to hit the slopes as much as possible on the weekends and after class, and believe me, I certainly did.

Thank you for enriching my eyes with a screensaver view everywhere I looked. I'm not quite sure what it will be like to go back home in a few days and no longer see the mountains in every direction I glance. I'm curious if it will seem strange to me, and I hope that my beautiful New England hometown will still seem as beautiful.

Thank you for the eye contact. Though it seems minuscule, this is one of the things that has most stood out to me. Every person I pass, boy or girl, does not look down, as seems to be expected in fast-paced New England. Instead, I am greeted with a genuine smile and acknowledging eyes, from every person I encounter, and it never gets old.

I could go on forever, but as I promised, I do not want to tell all of your secrets. As I head back to New England I could not be more excited to see all of my friends and family. My whole life is back on the East Coast, a life that I know and love more than anything. But now I have had a taste of Big Sky Country and it doesn't feel fair that I must choose. I wish I could pick up the states like puzzle pieces and move Montana right next to my school in RI. But alas I cannot, and that is okay. I am so incredibly grateful for the time that I've had, and I promise I'll be back Montana. So thanks again you beautiful state, I'll see you around.