I am going to be a junior at Endicott College. I do not go to parties and I am not going to apologize for it. People tell me that I am missing out, that I do not know how to have fun, and that I am boring. I honestly doubt I am missing out on much. I do not want to be surrounded by people who are throwing up because they drank too much and cannot handle their alcohol. I do not want to be near people who are disoriented and are not aware of what they are saying or doing. I do not want to witness people making a fool of themselves and will regret it the next morning. I will walk someone back to their dorm if I see they need help, but I do not want to take part in that crowd. I refuse to put myself in a position where I feel unsafe and unaware of my surroundings.

I do not need alcohol to have a good time. That is why I chose to live in the healthy living dorms the past two years. That decision has had a positive impact in my life and if I had chosen another dorm, the only thing I would have missed out on is meeting some pretty amazing people. Because the dorms were so small everyone basically knew everyone, with an exception of a few people. I found a group of people who had the same mindset as I do. I’ve become really close with everyone in the dorm.

They were always there for me. They supported me and always helped me with my photography homework. They knew how to make me feel better if I was having an off day. They made me laugh until I could not breathe. They made me feel at home away from home. They were always down to watch disney movies with me on a Friday night. They were always excited to play mario kart and foosball with me. On nice days we opened the windows, blasted the music and had dance parties. When we needed a break from homework, we went for late night car rides.

They became family to me and I am thankful for each and every one of them. I honestly do not know how I would have gotten through the school year without them. I am so happy that I chose healthy living and if I got the chance to go back, I would chose it again. I am thankful I get to spend this next school year with them and I look forward to the many adventures we will have in the future.