As I sit on the olive green couch in my new apartment, staring at the nearly fully decorated walls, I can’t help but think back to the memories I left behind from my previous home. I lived there for years, and it’s hard to believe that it’s all from so long ago. As much as I’ll miss it however, it was time for a new chapter in life with only mysteries ahead.

Thinking about how much things have changed since the time I first moved in is fun, I still remember the late night conversations with my best friends, being excited about not having a curfew and being carefree without a worry in the world. I grew up there, in a way. With my friends by my side, I experienced some of the most valuable lessons in life that to this day I can still look back on and laugh. From the excitement of all of us friends working together at a fast food restaurant to getting ready for our morning classes at Austin Community College, there was never a dull moment. It was a time when I felt free and that I was experiencing what it was really like to be an “adult,” or at least what I thought one was.

Like with every young adult, there were up and downs along the way. The occasional argument with my roommates, complaining about work and school, not making enough money, all the little things that I thought were so difficult to deal with when I was 18, 19 years old. As I look back and think about it now, I’m thankful for having gone through those tough situations. They brought me closer to my friends and helped make me more responsible. It wasn’t always hard. An occasional party took place every few months, and like with every fuzzy night, waking up the morning after to the mess and the stories of what took place the night before is priceless. All we could do was laugh as we stared at the empty boxes and bottles scattered along the floor because our trashcans were overfilled. The mess was ignored, of course. As per tradition, we all had to have lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant just north of our house, Golden Wok. Their egg drop soup and lemon chicken special were our favorites and there was nothing better to eat as we shared laughs and spotty memories from just hours earlier.

Apart from my friends, of course, there were love interests. While living there I had the opportunity to date two different girls for which I’m so thankful to have met. They taught me great lessons and we lived wonderful experiences. From dinners on the couch to a Colorado trip, the memories seem like they could go on forever. It’s been quite a while since then, and things are so much different now, but who knows how I’d think and feel about certain things now if it were not for them. My room’s walls heard both laughs and cries over the years and realizing that life does go on after heartbreak was relieving.

Time flies. It really does. It is still hard for me to believe that it is all so different now and I’m in a completely different place in my life today than when I first walked through the front door of that house to greet my new roommates – my best friends. I will always be grateful for those experiences and I’ll never forget the crazy moments that made and have kept our bond strong for years. We’ve all grown up and began to go our separate ways, but I know they are always there.