Everyone has a different way in which they measure time. Some watch the clock tick second by second, others by counting the hours as they go by, and some are more creative, voting to measure by holidays or special occasions. However, there is one universal truth, there are 12 months, 52 weeks, and 365 days in a calendar year. However, while I have been away at college, my time was measured by 4. In theory, 4 years seems like a stretch of time, more than enough time to be in one place. Yet, as I sit in my empty apartment, I do not think four years could ever truly be enough.
When I first came to college, I prayed that four years would go by quickly, crying in my dorm room dreading how I would never meet people and how it felt like my life had ended. By the end of that semester, I was wiping tears for a whole new reason, I never wanted to leave. Now, many believe it can be said that a city is what makes the experience. Some may say that it is the college bars with floors your sneakers stick to, with drinks poured too strong and music played too loud. Others would say the restaurants, with their linen tablecloths and curated menus with your favorite appetizer you have to order every time you come. Maybe it's the football stadium, with trembling bleachers and sweaty hands gripping each other to sway side by side, fists swinging in the air in time with the classic chants that are as easy to sing as breathing air. After all, four years is a long time to get to know a place. Yet when I look back on Athens, I don’t see the red brick of campus or the big oak trees lining Milledge, I see the smiling faces of the girls that have become my lifeline.
Through college there is one universal truth that I have learned, “the people make the place”. Absolute strangers from across the country, with accents from a south Georgia twang to a witty Long Island talk, I think about how if not for this place I would never have known these people. I never would have known their love, staying up into the wee hours of the night to drape metallic balloons that spell out “happy birthday”. Never have felt the community you can only find written on the inside of too-small closets or on the roof of a sorority house you lived in for a year, tearing up and playing the same song on repeat because you can’t handle moving out. Never experienced the humor of laughing until you cry, cramped on a couch that you probably spent too much time on, because you are telling jokes that are probably for the target audience of 7th grade boys. Athens never felt like a home because of the city, it felt that way because of the people that made it into the place I love.
One of my friends’ favorite people is, of course, Taylor Swift. From blaring her music on car rides to get sweet treats that made our stomachs sick, to texting every night in a 15 girl group chat about what surprise song she would sing next…Taylor became a large topic of conversation for us. One of the pieces of her songs that always stood out to me was when she said, “you are what you love”. When I was sitting at dinner 2 nights before our graduation, staring at the smiling faces I had memorized, shrouded by candlelight and surrounded by echoes of laughter, that was all I could think. Thinking about how although I am leaving these girls, I have a piece of each of them with me. Before college, I was never a confident person, I was so unsure of myself and what I could be. Over time I learned that you are what you love, and thank god for that. Now thanks to the people I have come to love I have gained a little bit of…
strength from a feisty blonde named Jane
spontaneity from a bouncy-bubbly Maisie
brilliance from the ever-encouraging Lila
grace from my other half, Rhyan
selflessness from the courageous Cameron
positivity from Reese, the ray of sunshine
determination from Katelyn’s perseverance
humor from the funniest person I have ever met, Talia
mindfulness from Mary Anna, one of the most grounding presences
confidence from the most loyal friend Caitlyn (aka Surdy)
faithfulness from Lana, who never for a second doubted who she was
honesty from Carlie, with her fearless spirit
inspiration from my go-to girl Rachel
faithfulness from Erin, the one I can go to for anything
And more than I could ever name…
I have become a mosaic of the people I have met, the places I have been, and the experiences we have shared. Whether they were in Athens, Georgia in our apartment that we shared a love-hate relationship with, singing along on a sunset cruise in Aruba, or strolling along the streets in our study abroad town in France. It is hard to believe the life that I have built is about to change, and honestly it's incredibly scary wondering where we all will go next. Yet, as I stare at the ripped up patches on the walls of the place I have called home, I know all that they need is to be patched up with paint. So maybe that's what we have to do, patch up these new holes with more love, more memories, more experiences.
Saying goodbye is never easy, but now I know it is not a goodbye, just a hello to a new chapter. And wow, aren’t I lucky to have closed such a special one. Here is to everyone who made it special, and to the place that built me, until next time!
Comments