All at once it hit me like a ton of bricks that my life and the lives around me are drastically changing. In a few short days, I will officially be halfway through my college experience. In less than a month I will begin my summer internship as will several of my friends. In the fall my best friend will be leaving to study in New York.
As much as I try to deny it, we are very quickly growing up. And top it all off, the life of my favorite place on Butler's campus, Ross Hall, is coming to an end.
'Tis the season for nostalgia so let's go back to the beginning of this journey, back to August 2016. Let's go back to Ross Hall room 397.
Move-in day Freshman year was, less than ideal. As I drove to Butler with my parents, I watched drops of rain pelt the glass windows. Surely this is a sign. We had missed the rain, but we were perfectly on time for the suffocating Indiana humidity.
I lost count of how many times we traveled up and down those AC-less stairs that day. All I know is that I sure was glad I decided against doing my hair and makeup for the day. After rearranging the furniture a handful of times, my parents and I finally found the perfect way to squish three beds into a dorm room meant for two.
Upon their departure, I found my way to the communal bathroom to shower. When I returned I met both of my roommates for the first time. After our unit meeting and small talk that quickly fell into silence, we are turned in for the night.
That first night I barely slept. For the first time in my life, I felt truly pushed out of my comfort zone. I spent hours trying to muffle the sound of me crying in hopes that neither of these strangers would here me.
Nearly two years later I wish I could tell my 18-year-old self that that choosing Butler, choosing to go random, choosing to live in Ross Hall- those were the three best decisions I've ever made.
Christina and Liz, I'm not sure how we ended up together but there isn't a day that has gone by that I haven't felt beyond grateful. Who would have thought that three very different girls living in a room meant for two would have turned out so well? Honestly, I don't know how I would have made it through my first year at college without the two of you. Even when I didn't know who I was, you two managed to show me it was somebody worth fighting for.
Our dorm may not have had air conditioning but I wouldn't change that even if I could. I loved how everybody had to keep their doors open for air flow. I loved how we would walk down the halls those first few weeks stopping by each room to meet our neighbors. As much as I complained, I loved when people would shout out their windows to each other.
I miss the late nights we would spend in that hideous brown and orange study room in the basement. I miss getting noise complaints from blaring music and dancing around our room. I miss how we would always have a minimum of three guests in our room even though we had the smallest room in our friend group. Tina, I even miss when you lost your room key so we left our door open for months.
My first semester was one of the hardest times of my life. I was so unsure of who I was and what I needed in my life, but I always looked forward to coming back from class to be with my best friends. Even at my lowest moments, I was so incredibly thankful I was experiencing them with you.
Ross Hall may have felt like a sauna even in the dead of winter, had an abundance of stink bugs, and flooded only weeks into school, but it was always home.
Never have I felt as much love as I did in Ross Hall. The building, the people, and the energy felt surreal. Ross Hall, you will be dearly missed.
#RossLove
