I was shocked by my decision to attend the College of Charleston. First off, I was a total homebody all my life. Throughout high school, I didn’t party. I went out to dinner with my parents more than I did with my friends. I preferred to stay at home in my own bed on the weekends. I loved my home; it was my happy place. When I chose to move away from the familiarity of York, South Carolina, I wasn’t sure how I would fare. I thought I’d last one month before I wanted to pack my bags and move home. Fortunately, I stuck it out. I grew to love my new city of Charleston, but I will never forget my roots. I am faced with constant reminders of my childhood home and town every day. Here are a few:

1. Sights

York is a small country town with a few stores, many dirt roads and hundreds of prideful students. Charleston is much more urbanized with parking garages, one-way streets, and sidewalks sometimes too crowded to walk on. But, believe it or not, I do see sights in Charleston that remind me of home. When I see carriage tours in progress, I think of the horses in the pasture down my road. Gravel driveways on Calhoun Street remind me of my own gravel driveway lined by large bushes. Overgrown ivy creeping up brick walls of abandoned buildings reminds me of the field of ivy across from Hunter Street Elementary School. Guys wearing camouflage jackets reminds me of the guys I went to high school with. Everyone’s dogs remind me of my own pups at home. I see a little bit of York in Charleston every day.

2. Smells

The smell of rain reminds me of the days I used to sit on the porch with my mom in the middle of a thunderstorm. When I do laundry, I use the same detergent my mom always used: Tide—the smell of my freshly washed clothes makes me think of my own tiny laundry room. When I light my cinnamon apple scented candle and close my eyes, I can picture that same candle sitting on the table in front of the window in my living room. The smell of spearmint gum reminds me of my dad—he chews Eclipse gum religiously. When I walk down the street, I can tell if the girl in front of me is wearing Daisy by Marc Jacobs; after all, it is my signature scent—it reminds me of Christmases past when I unwrapped the Daisy gift bag. Every time I clean my hands with hand sanitizer, I think about my mom and her plethora of travel sized Bath & Body Works hand sanitizers buried deep in her purse.

3. Tastes

When I order Chinese food from Chopsticks, the flavor of sesame chicken takes me back to the days my dad and I would order take-out and eat it at the kitchen table. Coffee in the mornings reminds me of the coffee my dad would make for me, though I get my daily coffee fix from Starbucks now. Eggs and bacon from the dining hall just aren’t the same as the ones my he would cook every Saturday morning. Charleston doesn’t sell Cherry Lemon Sundrop, so I have to bring packs of them to Charleston. When I crack open a can, I think of home.

4. Feelings

Charleston doesn’t get near as chilly as York does in the fall and winter, but when the temperatures do happen to drop a few degrees, it reminds me of the crisp York air. The cold classrooms in Maybank and Cato make me feel like I’m sitting in my Grandmother and Papa’s home (it’s always freezing there)! When my best friend braids my hair, I’m reminded of the days my mom would braid it for me… she would try, at least. The endless love and support from my friends and professors make me feel as loved as my parents do—and though they can’t be with me every day, I know they’re here in spirit.

5. Audio

When my other best friend listens to country music, it takes me back to the days when I rode around in my dad’s truck late at night. Dogs barking at people on the sidewalk reminds me of my pup greeting me at home. Southern accents remind me of my own Southern roots. Revved truck engines make me think about the guys I went to high school with and how they would spin their tires after school in an attempt to impress everyone (*cue eye roll*). When sitting in the dining hall in the middle of the day, I can sometimes hear General Hospital playing on the TV; the voices of the characters take me back to the days when I would sit in the living room with my mom and watch the overly dramatic show with her.

York is a small town full of amazing families. Charleston is a big city full of wonderful opportunities. Both places will forever be my home. I graduated from York Comprehensive High School as a cougar, and I came to the College of Charleston as a cougar. And you know what they say—once a cougar, always a cougar.