Nothing changed my life more dramatically then deciding to attend college in Idaho, approximately 2,000 miles, 32 hours driving, and 6-8 hours flying away from my home, from birth, in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania. I arrived on a Saturday to campus and my housing for the next month or so before I moved to my more permanent fall semester housing via my brother who had gone there. He took me around the town and left for the four hour drive back to Provo, Utah where he lived. He was the closest family member to me.
So it was I found myself at 6 in the afternoon on a July day feeling sorry for myself in my loneliness. As a social person, a Saturday night with no plans, no friends, no prospect of friends, I felt utterly lost. Listening to the laughter and playing of other college kids in our front yard did nothing to disperse my loneliness. So I did what any person should do...I watched with open stalker like tendencies for a bit before I threw myself out there and asked, "Can I come play with you all?"
They happily included me in their group of friends who had all come to college together from Texas. Eventually the guys from our group left to go home, and the girls and I trickled into one of the apartments of our four-plex front. We then embarked on the exciting journey of getting to know someone new. We asked and told each other all about our lives, the major high points. We ended up staying up most of the night talking. I knew is was a great start to what I felt would be lasting friendships, and I wasn't disappointed.
The next day these girls stumbled up to campus with me, where my future husband, Travis, would "shush" us. We giggled endlessly and prepared for the first day of college the next day. In that short summer term of five weeks I was able to go bridge jumping, caving, to the sand dunes to play tackle football in the leech infested water holes and participate in a hundred more adventures with these girls, including a late night traveling WWE style wrestling tour put on for my future husband. We would form an intramural football team, called Big Booty where our theme song when we arrived on the field would be "Who Let the Dogs Out". We would take that same core group of girls and play countless other sports.
And through those girls I met many others. Our circle of friends expanded over and over until, I had a huge network of friends who I adored. I had met the man of my dreams, whom I would later marry. I would alter my life plans just enough to get me to where I am today, which is exactly where I was meant to be. It may have been terrifying in some ways, but it was the best decision of my life.
And still I see and love these girls, though not as much as I would like. Here's hoping that we can get a 20 year girls only reunion going in the next couple of years with all of us.
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