I grew up going to church every week. My youth group was my favorite place and I looked forward to Sunday night when I got to see all my friends. We all went to different schools so the only time we saw each other was on Sundays.

We went on all sorts of trips together and did so many wacky activities. With my high school youth group, I went to Peru 3 times, on countless retreats, to the beach, and camping. Most of the best parts of my high school were spent with my youth group.

I was so sad at my last youth group. It was one of the most fun ones that we had had. It perfectly encompassed the four great years of memories I had at the church that was like a second home with the people that were a second family.

Coming into college, I knew that I needed something like my old youth group in my life. My weeks didn't feel the same without it, and my life felt unbalanced.

My roommates older brother went to Cru when he went to Maryland and he loved it! He suggested that we both go. I was very nervous because I didn't think that it would live up to what my high school youth group was.

A lot of things in my life were changing. I was getting stressed about not having a good friend group anymore and also was worried about finding a community like the one that I had back home.

I think that I got caught up in trying to replace everything in life that had changed or left. It took my a couple weeks to realize that I didn't need to find replacements. I just needed something new that would give me an opportunity to make more memories.

Going to Cru for the first time was interesting. Even though I was late to the first meeting, I felt welcomed there. Before I had even talked to anyone, I felt like this could be what I was looking for.

A couple weeks later they were talking about this fall retreat that Cru goes on every year. I just kinda brushed it aside because I had a bridal shower that day that I was already committed to. The more I thought about it, the more I knew that I needed to go on this retreat.

It is hard to meet people and form good relationships when you only see people once a week. I went on the retreat and I am so glad that I did. I met so many people and now I feel so more plugged in with the group.

I have a better group of friends. They are all people that have similar beliefs as me and I am comfortable being myself around them. I know that they would have my back through anything.

I'm sure that I wouldn't have become as good of friends with these people if I didn't go on the fall retreat. Going to Cru on Thursdays is the highlight of my week. I finally feel like I have some consistency in my life. I have something constant that I know won't go away.

At first, I was worried about going to Cru. Consuming my time with various church activities isn't the typical college experience. I was worried what my friends back home would think of me not going to parties and doing things like what their doing.

Now, I don't really care. I have realized that I need to live out my faith and what I believe. I am so happy with my life. I love College Park, I love Cru, and I love all of my new friends. Cru was the community that it needed to change my whole college experience around.