I’m graduating in less than two months… It’s kind of horrifying to admit to myself, but I’ve finally come to terms with it. While leaving this city I’ve called home for so long is bittersweet, I know I’m moving on to a bigger and brighter future. However, there are a LOT of things I’m going to miss when I’m gone. Let me start with the top ten…
10. The Dorm- I love living on my own. My parents’ house is so crowded with me and three other people in it, and my bedroom has so much crap accumulated in it that it always feels cramped, even though it’s bigger than my dorm room (probably…) and I don’t share it with anyone else. Also, there’s the issue of my terms… I clean my dorm room when I feel like it, do my dishes when I feel like it, and take out the trash… when my roommate complains about the smell. Okay, okay, not really, but close enough. When I live back at home, I’ve got to go back to the chores being on my parents’ terms, and I’m not really looking forward to that.
9. Classes- I hate writing papers and doing projects. Who doesn’t? But that doesn’t mean that I hated learning all the new things, engaging in discussions, and reading new material. The whole academic world was my oyster for four years. I almost wish I was going to stick around longer… as long as I never have another 10 page paper again.
8. Freeloading – On campus, my tuition is paid for, I’m on the meal plan, I live in a dorm. and I don’t have to pay for utilities. When I live at my parents’ house, I won’t have to worry about rent and utilities, but when I get my own place, I’m on my own… For good. Yikes.
7. Walking – Everything on campus is within walking distance. Even Downtown Athens is close enough to make riding the bus an exercise in silliness on sunny days and temperate nights. It’s been great exercise, and it’s comforting to know that I can literally hop, skip, or jump wherever I need to go. I don’t much fancy walking around the streets of Atlanta… not at night anyway.
6. The Dining Halls – There’s a reason the Food Services have been trying to get us to call the Dining Halls “Dining Commons;” they’re wonderful places to sit with friends, eat, drink (soft drinks) and be merry. They have pretty decent and free internet, they are almost always open, and they cater to so many tastes that I never can claim to find nothing to eat. I’ve got so many fond memories of Snellebrations, lunches at Bolton and dinners at ECV… I really am going to miss those places…
5. The Mall – This one’s definitely personal… I worked at the mall for three out of my four years here. I know that place like the back of my hand and I’ve formed great relationships with plenty of the employees and store owners. I’ve had good times and bad there, but I know that in the future I’m going to look back with nostalgia.
4. Gameday – I don’t like football. I’ve only ever seen six Georgia games since I got here. But that doesn’t mean I don’t get a smile on my face every time I see that sea of red and black all over campus, hear the roar of the Stadium from inside my dorm, or think about the few games I actually went to. GOOOO DAAAAWGS!
3. Jittery Joes – I don’t really know if they have locations outside of Athens, but I haven’t seen any in the area I live. They make great Chai tea, which I will miss, but they also have a friendly, casual atmosphere that EVERYONE in town is familiar with and can say “Oh, yeah, Jittery Joes!” You don’t get the same feeling when someone says “Oh, yeah, Starbucks!” It just… isn’t the same.
2. My Haunts – Siri Thai. Ru Sans. The Bombay Cafe which has been closed for two years. Jittery Joes at the (S)MLC. The Borders on Alps Rd. The English Lounge at Park Hall. The Grill… So many places. Some I’ve frequented more than others, but all of them are dear to my heart. Whether I went there with my best friends, my boyfriends, or all alone, I came to make these places a part of me. I’m going to miss them. But not as much as…
1. My Friends – Some of us live in the Metro Atlanta area. Others are Athens locals. Some of my friends live way out in the middle of nowhere, and others live in other states. Some are moving across the country when they graduate and some are settling down where they are. Needless to say, it’s going to be pretty hard to gather everyone together as frequently as I’ve been able to while we were all here. I wish them all the best and know we each have to go on our own paths, but that doesn’t mean I won’t miss being able to chat in the halls between classes or at any of the local venues over a meal. Oh well… Here’s hoping that even though our lives take us in separate directions that we are never really parted. There’s always the Internet, am I right?
