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Rewind all the way back to August, pre-college; that anxious day in August when I packed up my car to the fullest it could be with my belongings. I had no idea what to expect going into my freshman year. Leaving my life at home behind was one of the hardest things I had to do, but I was ready to let go and embark on the adventure of my first year in college. After a long 10-hour car ride and taking too many trips up and down the three flights of stairs, I was finally moved into my first college dorm room in what would now be my new home.
           Now fast-forward to present time; the final countdown of my freshman year. 11 days remaining. How is that even possible? It seems like just yesterday I nervously began the daily routines of college that I now don’t need to think twice about. It seems like just yesterday I walked around in awe of this huge campus that I had zero clue how to navigate which I now know on the back of my hand. I remember the times I would walk through completely new and unfamiliar places that now hold the best memories. How is it that these past nine or so months have passed so quickly without even realizing?
           Leaving my hometown, I was nearly positive I would be eager to get home at the end of the year. Yet now, I actually don’t want it to end. In just the short time I’ve been here, I’ve made some of the best memories with truly amazing people. Being on a college campus that doesn’t seem so big now makes it so unbelievable to me how I’ve found people that I love so dearly and that I can really see myself in. It’s only now, with 11 days remaining, that I have come to realize how fast this year has gone, but how many memories were made, with the most amazing people I could ever imagine. College truly is an experience that I never would have expected, and I wish I could rewind back to the first day and do it over again. When people told me college goes by much faster than high school, I didn’t believe them. But they were very right. I blinked an eye and it was over.
           Now I imagine 11 days from now, when I have to take down all the picture frames that hang so carefully on the wall, empty the junk that fills my desk drawers, and pick up the clothes that are sprawled in every corner. I have to pack up every last item that fills the room that has been my humble abode for the last nine months. There definitely will be tears shed, I can tell you that much.
           Although the year is nearly over, I will always carry the memories with me. And I am beyond excited to see what my next year has to offer and the memories to come.  Â