Freshman year,

Thank you so much for all the people you brought into my life. I've met people that I will be friends with for the rest of my life, and others that turned into family. I never thought that when I was leaving for school, I would make a group of friends as close as I did, and now I couldn't imagine my life without them. I've learned what true friendship looks like, and learned to leave behind the people that didn't care about me.

I've learned how to take care of myself and manage my responsibilities like an adult. Although I still don't know what I'm doing half the time, I know that each day, I've learning something new and slowly maturing into the person I'm supposed to be. I know how to schedule my own doctor appointments, do my own laundry, take care of a crisis, and manage my money.

It was a year filled with ups and downs, but through strength and prayers, I made it through in one piece. Sure, there were days where all I wanted to do was cry and give up, but I didn't. I pushed through, I fought and I won. I survived and thrived through my first year and I am proud of my hard work I put in day in and day out.

The memories that were made are memories are cherished and can never be forgotten. The weekends that were spent hiking mountains and exploring nature, the nights that started out as study dates but turned into late night food runs, and the snow days that resulted in snow ball fights, sledding, and building snowmen. Those are the days that made my freshman year great and gave me memories to hold on to.

My freshman year gave me the chance to find out who I was and to create a better me than the person I was in high school. I discovered things about myself that I never knew, and found new hobbies and clubs that would soon become my passion.

This past year has been nothing short of perfect. It's a year that I will carry with me and remind myself of whenever I need encouragement or motivation. It's brought me my best friends and some of my favorite stories, which is something that can never be replaced.

So here's to my freshman year.