Going to college for the first time can be very exciting, that is until you leave your big metropolitan hometown to a tiny city surrounding a college. That was what my moving to college experience was like. At first, all I could focus on was starting a new life in a new city and a new school. I had been counting down the days since graduation. Little did I know that going from being a small fish in a big pond to a small fish in a small pond was not an easy transition.
I spent my entire life living in Raleigh, North Carolina, a major tourist city, and I loved every second of it. From live theater performances to downtown coffee shops to several job opportunities, Raleigh was a great place to grow up and start a life. As soon as I chose my college, all that was on my mind was leaving the beautiful city I knew and loved and starting over in one so far away.
After about a week or so of being in college, I thought that Greenville had almost nothing to offer. I started to become very homesick, and bored. My friends and I struggled to find something fun to do in this town. Bowling? Lame. Movies? Not exciting. Food? Eh, the dining hall will have to do.
It wasn't until I spent more time in this college town that I found out that this place was not that much different from Raleigh. It had all the same shops, same restaurants, same environment. This tiny city soon felt more like home to me.
I also fell in love with things different than Raleigh. Where else could you go to get a bacon fry burger at 2 AM? Not Raleigh! Does Raleigh have the most insane nightlife in the entire state of North Carolina? No, but Greenville sure does. Who knew that a small town revolved around one single college could have so much potential to be one of the greatest cities I could ever live in?
The process of me falling in love with Greenville took a lot of time and exploring. I also couldn't have enjoyed living there without amazing people. Most people I have met in this city have been some of the nicest people I have ever met in my lifetime, even complete strangers.
My heart will forever be in Raleigh, but a part of me will always stay in Greenville.
