The day finally came for me to leave everything I know behind. I emptied out my room of 10 years, packed up my entire life, covered half the floor with duffel bags/suitcases, and took one last look at my home before we drove 8 hours away.

The journey of 511 miles began, and I didn’t look back. Was I nervous? I don’t think nervous began to cover it. I worried about move in the entire way there. Can I do this? Too late to change my mind now, right?

Before I knew it, we pulled into the parking lot of my new home for the year: “Welcome to Wray House!” The job of cleaning my room, unpacking the suitcases which took up the entire floor, and hanging up decorations took 3 hours to do. We finished everything, and it was time to say goodbye to my parents for the next 3 months. “See you in November! Good luck! We love you!” they said before driving away. This time, without me in the car as I stood in the parking lot and watched them leave. The silence hit me shortly afterwards. That’s it. I’m on my own now. Next time I’ll be home is in November. (Only a little overwhelming.)

Now, I’ve finished my stressful, crazy, busy but exciting first month of college. As with any freshman, the nerves of adjusting to my new life were real. I did a complete 360 on my life by coming here. I knew nobody, I’m not from Ohio and nobody from home is with me.

Yes, this was a difficult decision to make but it was worth it. I love our beautiful campus and adorable small town college feel of Athens.It's an exciting time for me to explore who I am and grow as a person. After all, college is about finding yourself, even if you stumble along the way. We all grow from our mistakes, they are what make us human.

Looking forward, I am so excited to see what Ohio can give me in the next 4 years to come. So here’s to my brand new life💗