As I say Goodbye to Ohio State

What doesn't feel like too long ago, I remember sitting in my bed in Brunswick, Ohio deciding where my future would take me. I never wanted to go to Ohio State.

I wanted to get away. I wanted to go somewhere far and glamorous. After receiving rejections to all my top contenders, I was honestly lost.

I distinctly remember getting an email saying Columbus has ice cream, coffee and shopping. And with that, I thought “it can’t be so bad.” I was sold.

I remember my first few days as a Buckeye. Scared, confused, uncertain and above all, excited. I had no idea what the next (thinking at that point) four years would bring.

I immediately bonded with my random roommates over classes, music, celebrities and gossip. I had no idea at the time that these girls would become my lifelong best friends. I didn’t know we would live together for years to come. I couldn’t have imagined the hours we would spend laying in each other’s beds just talking about our days. I would have never believed you if you said we would spend hundreds of nights going out together until 3 a.m. And I definitely didn’t foresee crying when one of us eventually moved away.

Life is funny. It forces us to make decisions, sometimes for no justifiable reason, and those decisions become our life.

I chose to go to a party my first weekend in Columbus and from just that night I have gained the best friend I’ve ever had.

I chose to pursue a Spanish minor and because of that I was able to study abroad in Spain.

I chose to leave Ohio State for a semester to work at Disney and now I’m preparing to go back for something bigger and better than I could have ever imagined.

I chose to join a club that lead me to so many amazing opportunities and even more to come after I leave Ohio State.

I chose to intern with Athletics and have been lucky enough to sing Carmen Ohio from the field at the ‘Shoe surrounded by over 100,000 fans.

Through all the times I’ve lost myself in thought staring at the aisles of books in Thompson, to the times I’ve sang “How firm thy friendship” while arm and arm with strangers at a bar. I know I’ve gained much more than an education here.

The little things at Ohio State don’t seem like a lot. That is, until you look back and see that the little things were always the big things.

Ohio State is a place where I have grown. I have become confident in myself, my goals and my dreams. I have been pushed in all of my experiences. I have met amazing people and I have been a part of something way more meaningful than I could have ever believed.

As I sit here writing this I just wonder how time has gone by so fast and how this chapter of my life is already coming to a close.

Ohio State was right in that original email. Columbus does have ice cream, coffee and shopping – but what’s more important is that they have thousands of friends to enjoy ice cream with, dozens of coffee shops to get work done and feel at home at and shopping that inspires you to support your neighbors and truly feel a part of a community.

At the time I never knew what this city and this school had in store for me. I chose Ohio State as a backup but as I leave, I will be leaving a little piece of my heart here.

Goodbye Ohio State. I don’t know what the future holds for you or for me, but I know that you’ve taught me how to thrive wherever I go. Thank you for everything through these past three and a half years. I could have never dreamt up a better place for me to become me.