This past July I had the opportunity to travel from my small Montana town to Fort Myers, Florida to attend an economics seminar with my econ professor and some of my fellow classmates. When my professor first brought up the trip, I thought, “Wow that’d be fun but I would never do it.” But then, my friend Kelsey and I started to joke around about applying just to see if we would even be accepted into the seminar. Next thing you know, we found ourselves in a professor’s office registering for the seminar and putting a five-day trip to Florida on our calendars.

As the school year was coming to an end with finals, I hadn’t really been given much information on this trip except for the fact that I would be traveling with ten other people, six of which I had never met, and it would begin with a red eye flight out of DIA.

Summer began and I went home to Montana. I was excited for my upcoming trip but I really had no idea what to expect. I mean I was traveling more than 2,700 miles to spend five days with some people I didn’t really know. I hadn’t done the course prep work, I hadn’t looked at the schedule yet, and I hadn’t talked to anyone but Kelsey about it. So no, I had no idea what to expect but what I got out of it was even better than I could have ever imagined.

Despite the fact that we left Denver at 1:15 AM, our trip was off to a pretty good start when those of us from my economics class were reunited in the terminal and began a hunt for the other six students who would be traveling with us. We were finally able to board the plane and thus began probably the best group message I have ever been a part of. "Swag Money" had been started. Just Professor Oversole and his students-- the original Florida gang if you will. What started as a group to make sure we all stayed together when we landed in North Carolina for our connecting flight soon turned into texting each other all the people we were forced to sit by on the plane, good and bad and this only continued into the seminar itself. Once we finally landed in Florida, I learned a few things.

For one, this seminar was only 60-70 students total but our group of ten students from Colorado Christian University was definitely in the minority. Students from all over the world traveled to Florida to attend this same seminar. My eyes were opened to so many new cultures. It was truly amazing. I met many new people, some who I don't care to mention and others that have truly become great friends!

Second, I was so thankful for Professor Oversole and the fact that he was able to keep us engaged in his class. Have you ever heard a speaker that just has the most monotone voice you've ever heard, one that makes it nearly impossible to pay attention? Well we did. Imagine sitting there listening to the first lecture from said speaker and it sounds like he stole your professor’s lecture right off of his computer. I can't even tell you how many of the lectures were exactly the same way. Actually I can. It was every single lecture. 10 out of 10.

As the week continued, Swag Money had quite the adventures. Daily/nightly trips to the beach, dinners at a restaurant on the top floor overlooking the beach, stops in sketchy gift shops looking for a henna tattoo for our professor, emergency stops at Target to buy shoe glue because someone (me) fell down a flight of stairs and broke their shoe, driving around to multiple malls looking for ONE t-shirt, and just cruising around Florida in the Escalade. I was able to create some amazing memories that can’t ever be forgotten and bonds that can’t ever be broken. I mean what else would you call it when you have a Jewish stalker and your group basically threatens to set you up with him? Those are the best kinds of friends to be made.

So thank you Swag Money for an incredible week that will never be forgotten. Thank you for constantly reminding me of my friend that followed me everywhere. Thank you for sending pictures of him to our group message so that he truly will never be forgotten. Thank you for all the inside jokes and all the rides in the lade. Thank you all for allowing me to constantly videotape you for my snapchat story; we all know it was lit ;) And most importantly thank you all for creating friendships that are sure to last me a lifetime.