Freshman year, you have come and gone. You went by so quickly, yet I feel as though this has lasted years. I anxiously awaited your presence for a very long time, and although part of me is sad that this period of my life is over, I cannot wait to see what comes next.

I grew a lot this year. I learned to put myself out there more, I tried new things, and I trusted new people. I come from a small town where everyone knows everyone and not much changes in day to day life; but you showed me how much this world really has to offer us all.

So thank you, freshman year. Thank you for allowing me the freedom to be who I want to be and thank you for knocking me down when I needed it (and for letting me get back up). I couldn’t have made it without the friends you introduced me to or the professors you provided me with.

You taught me that it’s OK to call my parents every now and then and to take spontaneous trips to new and exciting places. You taught me how to know when it’s time for me to go home and when it’s alright to stay out until 5 a.m. Thank you for showing me the ropes to life, and for giving me the opportunity to live, learn, and laugh… especially laugh.

We had a lot of good times, you and me. We went to concerts with friends, made late night ice cream runs, and even stood in ridiculously long lines—all in the name of “free t-shirts.” We went on coffee dates with cute boys, met phenomenal people, and decided the path we want to continue on in life. Thank you for all of that.

But most importantly, thank you for being over. It was fun while it lasted, but now it’s time for me to move on to a new stage of my life. It’s time for me to meet new people, live in an apartment, and dare I say it… get an internship. We had a good run, freshman year, and it was definitely fun while it lasted, but I’m moving on to bigger and better things.

I appreciate all you’ve allowed me to do and all the opportunities you’ve given me. You are truly an experience I could never forget. You’ve given me some of my best friends and favorite memories, and for that I cannot thank you enough. My only hope for you is that you treat the next group as wonderfully as you did me; teach them all that you taught me and make them just as happy.

So long, freshman year.