As I pack up my 12 x 19 foot dorm room, it has begun to hit me how fast my freshman year of college went by. When you're in the midst of school and extracurriculars, the only thing you're thinking of is how fast you can get to your bed and how close Friday night is. This year has given me unforgettable memories and experiences. I've made a handful of friendships with people I know I will have in my life for a long time. This year has also taught me a lot of lessons, all of which I will never forget.
It's hard to believe that nine months ago I was the girl sitting in my car packed full of my belongings and crying because I didn't feel ready to leave everything I knew for 19 years behind. All I wanted for the past few years leading up to that moment was to get away, and when that moment finally came, I felt everything but ready. A wise person once told me, "You are never going to feel ready, but you are never more ready than you are right now." With that line going through my head, I pulled out of the driveway and took off. I had no idea what my next adventure was going to be like, but I knew it was time to go.
Growing up, you are always taught that not everyone is going to like you and not everyone is going to have a reason. I always knew that lesson to be true, but it never came into perspective for me until coming to school.
Girls in college were sometimes found to be more petty and mean than girls in high school, and when I had a fallout with my roommate at the start of the year, I knew there was nothing I could do and had to find a way to just start over once again and remove myself from the situation. Girls will always find a way to hate you for no reason, and will find ways to tear you down to make themselves look better. I wish I would have handled this situation differently and stood up for myself, but hindsight is always 20/20, and sometimes you just have to learn to let go.
My biggest dream since middle school was to go into sports broadcasting as a sideline reporter, and that dream has slowly been put in motion. I was not ecstatic about coming to St. Cloud, but the minute I went into the newsroom and studio I knew I was coming to the right place. I knew from this moment I was on the right path and that nothing was going to get in the way of my dreams. I began to spend a lot of time working for the newscasts, Husky Productions, which is the nation's number one college live sports broadcast. I finally got to be a sideline reporter for basketball and baseball, and I also worked for a little show called "Husky Mag." Everything was falling into place, and it felt great to finally put the boys who once made fun of me, telling me I knew nothing about sports and I wasn't going to make it, in their place.
Not only did school and my career aspirations fall into place, but so did my personal life. For the first time in a very long time, I could truly say I was happy. I was battling with personal demons for a while, but once I moved on and started doing the things that made me happy, everything fell into place. I met a great group of friends inside UTVS and outside of it. These friends helped me through all the hard times of freshman year and were there through all of the highs. It feels like they've been in my life a lot longer than nine months, but I am so thankful for them and look forward to bringing them into my future. I also joined a sorority, Kappa Phi Omega, which I knew I always wanted to do, but was always afraid of the time and commitment, as well as how people would view me. I pushed all of those thoughts aside and went anyways, and I found an incredible group of girls who are always there. I also found my best friend. I don't know how I was able to cross paths with a boy who lives 2,000 miles away from me, but he stole my heart and through the good times and bad, there is nobody I would rather be with or anybody that I could possibly love more than him.
As I sit with my belongings in boxes looking back on freshman year, I am so thankful for every experience. There were so many things that I learned and so many people who proved to be a blessing in my life who made me a better person. Thank you to everyone who made this year incredible, and thank you for being in my life. As I prepare to finish this chapter, there is another one to be written right around the corner. Sophomore year, we're coming for you.
