Sunny's

 I've been thinking a lot lately about school and how my life was a bit different when I was there only a few months ago. I am figuring out how to adjust to this new lifestyle, but with more responsibility and views on life. I am so grateful that I was able to spend 4 years away from home in new surroundings filled with wonderful people.
Growing up in a household where I wasn't the happiest child, I dreamed of the days where I would be able to leave and be on my own. As a requirement by my parents I had to attend school at least 2 hours away. This was to ensure that I wouldn't be home every weekend, but close enough that I could come home if something came up. I knew right away that I would be going further than 2 hours away. I wanted to escape being home and under my parents supervision. Little did I know that I would hate to travel the distance. I found a school as far as I could be in the state of New York, so I could attend a SUNY school. A tiny town that was as big as my neighborhood. They drove tractors down the road and had snow that would require you to use a snowsuit to get to classes dry. This is the wonderful school that I chose. There were many times, many many times, that I questioned why I chose to go there, but in the end I remembered that I was loving every minute of it.

I have met so many people, fantastic people while I was away at school. I have formed life long friendships that I know I could count on for anything. I would travel those 8 hours in a heartbeat if I knew they needed me. A group of girls that I met freshman year, became my family throughout the 4 years and it was hard to leave them behind. Now that we're all going in our separate directions, I know that we'll do everything possible to keep in touch. There was also a group of guys that I met my junior year that became like brothers to me. A lot of mornings were spent sharing stories about the previous nights activities and confiding in one another about embarrassing moments or not such great decisions, but in the end we were always there for one another. Sunny's is a local "nightclub" in town. It was the place where we could go freshman year as under-aged college students. It quickly became the place to go whenever you felt the urge to just dance. Our final year, we had a house about 200 steps away from the front door of Sunny's. It brings back a ton of memories.
Turns out that by escaping the home I grew up in, I have now distanced myself from a family that I miss everyday and am too far to just stop by and say hi. Now it comes down to emails and text messages, with a few phone calls here and there. They know that they can call me anytime. I guess the purpose of this post would just be to simply say that I appreciated being away at school and the friendships that I built. I wouldn't have done anything differently, regardless of how things have turned out so far. My friends mean the world to me and I will do anything for them. Some friendships are slowly sliding to the wayside, but that doesn't mean I don't cherish those moments and memories. I don't view it as losing a friend, but just someone passing by that I may see again. I am hoping for a reunion this summer. I may be going to surprise a friend who is walking the stage in May, I'd love to be there to see him finally finish. So here's to college and the greatest memories that I can hold on to while I make even bigger and better memories with the next chapter of my life!

Dedication to my friends whom I know I can call up at 1am if I'm lonely: "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum

Quote of the Day: "When I want friendship defined-I look at my friends"