“Hi! Nice to meet you!”
“I’m a second-year transfer student from Colorado.”
“Oh yeah, I transferred from Oregon…”.
It’s become funny to me now. The different comments and reactions are interesting, but yes, I am from Colorado. I grew up traveling the world and around the US. When deciding where to go to college I didn’t want to stay in-state so that only left me so many options for my major.
When COVID hit, I was in the middle of touring colleges and didn’t want to wait a year to attend. So, I chose to go to school in Oregon. It was a great school in a gorgeous area with great people. But because my school was in a small town, and I grew up in a city, I felt more isolated than I thought I would.
BUT IT G0T BETTER..
Growing up in Colorado, I didn’t have the luxury of having other states just hours or a drive away. But when I finally got to RIT, my mom and I drove around the East coast and I was amazed at how convenient it was. Sure, it was on the other side of the country, not only from my home but also my last school, that didn’t bother me.
Traveling for me always required a plane, a train, or a car. So a few-hour flight back home was nothing.
When I was at school in Oregon, I met lots of people from California, Washington, Nevada, and Hawaii. Once people found out I was from Colorado, they were amazed at how far I had come, let alone that I chose to be out of state. But to me, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Now, being at RIT, I’ve met plenty of people from Oregon, Washington, and even a few from Colorado! It now feels normal and, honestly, quite fun to be able to bond with another student over “Oh! We’re from the same coast!”. For me, it’s no different than people taking trains home to visit family and friends on the weekend, mine is just a flight away instead.
THE PERFECT SETTING
There is a whole world out there, and if done right, it is very easy to navigate in its hugeness. I love traveling, always have, and always will. And so, I think it’s perfect for me that I live in the middle of the country between the school I transferred from, and now RIT.