This week, while most Florida State students will be getting in their cars and heading south for Thanksgiving, I'll be taking a flight home to Tennessee. There's much to look forward to over the break, but one thing I'll be missing is watching FSU beat UF with my friends. Although my family cares about the outcome of the game, none can really understand what game days are like in Tallahassee, let alone know what it's like to be a Nole. Being an out-of-state student can be difficult, especially when it comes to football rivalries -- and watching the game from home can be a strange and lonely experience.
You wake up (at home) and realize that it's game day.
Then you walk downstairs and no one is wearing anything FSU related.
You run some errands around town, but fail to see a single car with a Florida State license plate or bumper sticker.
But when you return home, your family members are wearing garnet and gold and everything starts to feel normal (sort of).
The game is on. When Florida State scores, you can't help but show off a little.
And your family starts to realize how amazing our team is.
But if things start to go south, you may be unable to control your emotions.
And your family might be a little freaked out because they've never seen this side of you.
That's okay. When we win, they'll understand.
But they'll never quite know how great it is to be a Nole.