On a normal day, sitting in my tiny dorm room and inhaling the slightly weird smell of the old building can seem tedious. Walking up the hill to get to the Quad and hiking the ISAT stairs over and over again can get exhausting. The Bluestone Buildings seem pretty but I don't always have time to appreciate this as I rush past them to get to class on time. I love JMU, but day-to-day, this notion is not in the forefront of my mind. When the opportunity presents itself to have a weekend getaway to visit a friend at another college, I am without a doubt excited for something new and different.

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Upon arrival at my friend's college, I cannot contain my enthusiasm at the prospect of spending time with someone I hardly ever get to see and having new and exciting experiences over the next few days. I love meeting my friend's friends and making connections with people I would normally never have the opportunity to meet. It's incredibly nice to see someone I am so close with in a totally new setting that I know nothing about, but where they feel comfortable. They are able to show me their world that is outside of the kind of small bubble I live in most of the time. Having a great weekend with old and new friends and making memories with everyone in a different environment is beyond comparison.

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The return back to JMU after a weekend away is always an enlightening experience. A little bit into the drive I realize how much I miss my college home. As the Shenandoah Mountains appear on the horizon, I feel a little jolt of familiarity as I know I'm getting close. The Bluestone Buildings come into sight after a while and the anticipation to be home increases until finally, I'm walking up to my room again, lugging bags up the stairs. It hits me all of a sudden, that the weird smell of the building isn't weird anymore, it's familiar and comforting. The tiny dorm I call home is no longer claustrophobic, it's cozy and mine. The prospect of walking up the huge flights of stairs or seemingly endless hills of JMU is no longer daunting, but a task well worth getting where I'm going on the campus I love.

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I will forever appreciate the excursions to see people I love at other schools. Meeting their friends and being introduced to their worlds is an experience like no other. Being able for a few days to step outside day-to-day life that can seem monotonous at times is incomparably valuable. On the other hand, being away makes me appreciate home. I would not trade my college experience as it is for anything, and I've learned that it should never be taken for granted.