I have the tendency of putting everything off to the last minute (which is probably really bad now that I’m in college) so it was no surprise to my parents that I had planned my orientation date to a day before move in day (not the best idea, by the way). It was decided that I was to move in the same day of my orientation so we wouldn’t have to drive back again the next day (we live four hours away and my parents hate wasting gas).

The campus was beautiful; the buildings, the parks, even the people. It was like walking into a movie where the actors and actresses play college students. They walked the streets knowing precisely where they were heading, while my family and I got lost a number of times and had to look in a map. Could we look any less like tourists or what?! Luckily, there were many friendly people who helped us out. “Iowa people are really nice!” I thought.

Soon after a long day of orientation and getting settled into my dorm, it was then that I realized that this was it. As soon as I closed the door on my family to leave, I realized that I was really alone now. No parents. No siblings. No friends. I was alone in a new town where I did not know a single soul (I didn’t even have a roommate). What the heck did I get myself into? All the excitement I once felt was overwhelmed with fear and doubt. I wanted to go back to that “comfort zone” because I knew I would feel safe, but it was too late to turn back now. This was college. This was the real deal. This was how life was going to be for a long, long, LONG time. It hit me so hard that all I wanted to do was cry…