Dear SRWC,

*Heavy sigh* Where do I even begin?

You changed my life. I know it sounds dramatic but it is true. Before I walked through those doors I was in a completely different place I am now physically and mentally.

I must admit I was a little scared of you when I first heard about you. I was so scared that I decided to stay away from you for my first year at Cal State Long Beach.

It was not until I took a cardio class my second year that I realized how much I enjoy working out and how fun it would be to visit you. I still remember the day I first walked in through your doors. I was 19 years old and out of shape but damn it did it feel good.

I looked over your first floor that was filled with many weight lifting machines and plenty of guys lifting the weight. Honestly, for my overweight self, that was very intimidating. Therefore, I walked to the second floor and hopped on one of the bicycles by the large windows. It was nighttime so the fields were dark and the only structure visible in the night was the pyramid.

That night I spent the majority of my first workout on the bike and attempting to make sense of the seated row. But I kept going back to you.

I would visit you four times a week, I noticed myself losing weight but then I would gain it back. There was a time where I thought that it was your fault that we were just not working out. So I stopped visiting you.

But by then I was used to you. So I was not able to keep away for more than a week. I had then realized that it was not you that was not working out but my eating habits. They were horrible! But you were there, always there!

I have been visiting you at least three times a week for the past three years-- this excludes summer and winter breaks. Either way I spent a good chunk of my time in Cal State Long Beach with you.

When I was mad for failing a test I would visit you. When I was happy I got a job I visited you. When I was sad, depressed, heartbroken, lazy, lonely, crushing and annoyed I visited you. By being there when I was frustrated, you stopped me from doing irrational things.

I have had to juggle a few things such as classes, volunteer positions, a job and an internship throughout my college education. My best work, creative ideas developed when I was with you! My best speeches, marketing campaigns, radio shows and paper ideas came to me when I was running on the indoor track and/or using the Stairmaster.

Now that I am less than a month away from graduating and leaving CSULB along with you, I want to say thank you!

Thank you for not judging and for being there when I did not know I needed you. I learned a lot from you. I learned how to trust, love, motivate and be patient with myself.

I know I will leave soon but I will visit you when I can!

PS: I’ve been visiting you for the past three years and you still don’t recognize me when I place my right hand? I have to re-enter my student idea at least five times or sometimes it does not work and I have to enter through the exit. Yeah can you stop that?

I love you!

Xoxo,

Fergie