If I'm being completely honest, transitioning into sorority life didn't come easy for me my freshman year of college. Rushing is stressful, especially at a school like Miami, so I struggled at first. Greek life is definitely a big part of the culture here. Although you don't need to go Greek in order to be social, I knew at the time that it was how I wanted to make new friends and get more involved at school.

Straight out of the gate, I'm not the most outgoing person of the group. It takes me a second or two to warm up to people and show them my true self. There's nothing wrong with that, but it does make it harder when meeting so many new people. Going into rush, I just wanted to find a place where I could be myself and the connection didn't feel forced. For me, that place turned out to be Phi Mu.

In the weeks following bid day, new members are given several temporary bigs to help them transition. We had a week or less to get to know each temporary big, another stressful process for me. After these few weeks, you're expected to rank a list of girls you want to be your big, and vice versa. It seemed like rush all over again.

My first temporary big was Hannah. She was this blonde, fun and chill girl, so I knew right away that choosing a big would be difficult. She kept up with me everyday to share details, see how I was doing, and just chat in general. She took me to parties and made sure I didn't do anything stupid (for the most part), which is harder than it sounds. I was starting to really like the idea of having a big sister around.

After my week with Hannah was up, I moved onto my next temporary big. And the one after that. I was loving my new temporary bigs, but I still kept up with Hannah throughout that time. We'd talk about all kinds of things like our (many) boy issues, a class we had together, or anything else on our minds. She just got me, and it was nice not feeling pressured to act a certain way around her.

At the time, I was secretly wondering about Hannah's other temporary littles, like a jealous girlfriend or something. Actually, I was probably more concerned with her than any guy I was talking to. What if she likes someone else more?

Come the time choose, I wanted two awesome girls to be my big. Can't I just have both? I guess it doesn't work that way. I went with my gut, knowing that I'd be thrilled no matter what.

A year and a half later, I'm still so grateful to have Hannah as my big. We have so much in common, especially in terms of the little things. She's there to make me laugh, listen to me complain, and pick me up whenever I need someone. At the same time, she always gives me the truth when I need to hear it. She appreciates me for who I am and doesn't expect more from me.

So thank you, Hanny, for getting me through STC 259, introducing me to some of my best friends, always being willing to celebrate with me, and putting up with my shit more than any boyfriend would. You truly deserve a medal.

I don't want to even think about you graduating this year, so maybe you should start considering life as a fifth year (let me know). Anyway, I can't wait to spend another year killing it with you in Oxford. As any other typical sorority girl would say, I love my big; she's my best friend.