As I am settling back into the home I left not so long ago for school, there are a lot of memories, struggles, and laughs to think about. My freshman year was one I will never forget. This is my final goodbye to my freshman dorm.

Typically, most writers reflect on the lessons they learned their freshman year of college. However, I just want one more minute to smile at the friends I made, the feeling of finishing final essays, and all of the great adventures Ithaca has shown me—especially when it comes to hikes.

I quite honestly don’t know what I would have done without my roommate and all of the other amazing friends I made. We were all nervous and we were all scared to be away from home, but we had each other.

My roommate’s random dance parties, reality TV show binges, and deep talks that run on until four in the morning is what got me through my freshman year. Our dorm room became a dance floor, a movie theater, and a therapy session—and it was everything we needed. Of course, I can’t forget the events that always accompanied a random fire alarm and my lack of ability to handle emergency situations.

Saying goodbye to my roommate, one of my best friends, and a sister to me for the summer is not the only thing that I have to say goodbye to. The one person who, without a doubt, would be beside me in class, crying over the number of essays on a class syllabus, and major sidekick is transferring.

Transferring is something that comes along with freshman year—students not feeling happy with their school of choice or the school not having the program that someone truly desires. No matter the reason, it is a part of the freshman year no matter where you go to school.

So, as I say goodbye to my friend, I also wish her the best at the new school she will be attending. I am jealous of those who will become her new class twin. But, I am so very happy that I was able to hold her hand and endure crazy professors with her for one year.

Finishing your finals in college is a whole different story compared to high school. In college, the weight on your shoulders in ten times heavier, but so is the relief when you have one semester down. I will never forget the feeling of handing in my first final essay—terror because it was worth 35% of my grade and a sense of ease.

Going to Ithaca has shown me that there is so much beauty in the world around us in so many different places that I have yet to discover. The hiking trails and waterfalls around the town of Ithaca will never get old to me. There is even a gentle beauty to sitting on the side of a dock against Cayuga Lake.

There is nothing like seeing the sun, when it’s out of course, shining down on crystal blue water. Ithaca is a place I will always come back to and be proud to have a piece of me belong to.

I looked at my empty room as my mom was eagerly vacuuming a third time and I thought of all the laughs and tears my friends shared. I thought about the quotes my mom left hidden around my room when I first moved in and how badly I wanted to turn around then. And I thought about the anxious freshman roommates that would live in 1104 next.

Goodbye to my freshman year of college. You’ve shown me so much. Now it is time to appreciate the moments I have in my hometown and the loved ones I missed so much.