What happened between freshman year and now?

I remember my first day of freshman year so vividly.

Here I was at the beginning of my journey to freshman years: move in day. It was a cool summer morning -- rain had freshly kissed the pavement outside my dorm. My dad pulled our rusty pickup truck against the curb to make the transfer of boxes from truck to dorm room easier. The rest of the day was blur of excitement and busy activity. I remember arguing with my family over the silliest things- unpacking boxes to where to go out to lunch. But not even the arguments though couldn’t dampen my spirits. As I watched my parents drive away from the comfort of my dorm window, for the first time in my adolescent life I felt free. Freedom!

I no longer had to report my whereabouts if I wanted to go out. I could keep my room the way I wanted without repercussion. The only worry I had to consider was going to class and keeping my grades up. Looking back to the damp and soggy day I remember watching the taillights of the family pick up disappear around the hedge planted on the curb. The red light burned signaling a new unfound change. It must have been similar to the green light Gatsby saw at the end of his dock when he looked out across the bay towards Daisy’s home. Both Gatsby and I did not recognize the true meaning of the light until we moved further into our stories.

Since then I have experienced new things, beyond what I thought my college experience would be. I now have a better picture of love and loss. I have seen many friends come in and out of my life because of the way we change in college. I have stayed up in the hospital with a friend because they decided to share a drink with someone they didn’t know. Throughout all this I have watched peers drop out of school and be put on academic probation, and I sometimes wonder if I will be next? Will my freedom hold me captive? I know I can do this, but for now, we wait and see!