The End of Freshman Year: A Reflection

I usually don't do two posts in one night but I've had all of this on my chest for a while.

As this year comes to an end, I have a lot to reflect on.

My relationship with Trevor is the strongest it has ever been. The distance placed between us by my schooling and his work has made us a million times stronger and shown us both that this relationship is where we want to stay. I was very nervous when first coming to college because I didn't know how it was gonna be being away from him more than one week but his frequent visits and our trust in each other has helped us grow as a couple. Some of my best times at JMU have been when he was here and I am so happy that he was able to meet and laugh with all of my friends. Trevor truly is my other half and I miss him constantly but I know that this is a learning experience for both of us and we have both been shown but also taught what love is.

Making friends is always something to worry about when coming to college, especially since you are placed in a dorm with people you have only ever met online if at all. I am so incredibly lucky to live in a suite where there is non-stop laughing and music playing. I am so thankful that I got stuck in a dorm with these girls that, although we don't always get along, are there when it is most important. We have been faced with troubles that have bonded us together including hospital visits and late night food deliveries but they have made JMU my home and really shaped my life in a positive way. And those are just the girls I live with. I have so many other beautiful people that have become a part of my life including my future roomies but also the people I have shared classes with and met through other mutual friends that have made me the person I am today. Some people don't know how much I cherish them and others do but they are all a part of my JMU experience.

Another thing many incoming students worry about is keeping old friendships alive. I am lucky enough to have my best friend at the same school with me and I'm so thankful that this year has resulted in our friendship growing to a new level. I love how I can go out with her or go over and play with her cat and laugh til I cry either way. She's literally the strongest girl ever and has had to go through some major things this year but still manages to keep a smile on my face and brighten my day. I am so happy to call her my future roomie and I'm sure there will be a million more events to blog about when we live under the same roof.

If you know me, you can see me in a sorority. From the first step in the door, I knew Phi Mu was for me. Although it isn't always perfect and happy, I can look around Phi Mu and see girls with values and traits like myself and I can look around at every one of them, even the ones I don't know well, and be proud to call her my sister. You become a part of it and then it becomes a part of you.

So I'm gonna start with my goodbyes. I want to start with my G-Big Brie and my GG-Big Jenna. I am so thankful that you have decided to keep the fam going with me and thank you for being there when I need you and showing me the ropes of Phi Mu. Y'all inspire me everyday and I thank you for that.
All of you please come back and visit. Former Prez Jen, you're such a role model to me and you're humor and love of those around you make me so proud to be your sister. I love that from the start I could talk to you like I've known you forever and that's made such an impact on my first year in Phi Mu. Ashton, I love that you have made me proud to rock a RBF. I love that you do whatever you want and don't care what others think but you're also one of the best people I know. I wish we had gotten closer sooner in the year but I know I'll see ya again in the future. Carleigh, I couldn't have asked for a Phi director better than you. You are such an amazing representation of Phi Mu and I literally want to be you cause you're perfect. I can't wait to see you and Conner's wedding pictures because y'all are perfect. Thank you for literally everything and making me fall in love with Phi Mu. Okay I hate goodbyes so I'm done. But it's not goodbye, it's see ya later, right?

My big Laura picked me up at the door the first day I walked into Phi Mu and then was with me from there on. I can't think of anyone else that looks so much like me and is as sassy as me. You constantly crack me up and I know that we know each other so well and can be straight up with each other. You really are like my real sister and I love that. I'm so sad that you're spending next semester in DC but I'm also extremely proud cause you're gonna rule the world one day and this gives you an opportunity to start making those connections. You're the best and I'm so proud to call you my big. Stay classy bae.

Phi Mu has brought me 210 sisters which is awesome because I've always wanted at least one. I love that I am so close with my girls Kayla and Caroline and I know that us extended fam will have so much fun together next year. I am also so thankful for one of my best friends Little Laura and how you are so funny and I feel like I can talk to you about anything. You live in Hanson with me so you're automatically awesome but I'm grateful that we've gotten so close and I can count on your for anything.

I guess this comes from being a Southern gal but family is extremely important to me. Although I was beyond ready for a break from the small town gossip, I am so close with my family that it was difficult to leave them. I have never been homesick at JMU but I have missed my family incredibly bad and my parents tell me that's a good way to be. I have grown so much as a person by being away from my family but it has also taught me so much about how important they are to me. My mom is the most vocal about missing me, one because she is the only girl, and two because she is a lot like me. She's the one I talk to on the phone and text everyday and she even still helps me attempt to be an adult. My dad is less vocal over technology in general but he makes it clear to me how proud he is and how much he misses me. My favorite is how I can see that my 14 year old brother misses me but he's too cool to say it. I can tell by his actions and the joy on his face when I come home. One of my best memories of this year is surprising my dad on his birthday because it is so difficult to surprise him. I wish I could pack into this paragraph how much my family means to me but there aren't enough words. I also wish I could list every one of my family members and the reasons I miss them but I don't have the space. I just know that this year has taught me that time is short and family is everything and those are the two things to live by.

JMU is an atmosphere like no other. Everyone is so friendly that I'm sure it freaks many people out. I have never been so trusting to strangers than I am at JMU and I love how welcoming everyone is. People at JMU don't understand how others don't like JMU because it is literally a home away from home that us students dread leaving every Spring.

I am thankful that I am blessed with JMU and I want to thank each and every one of you for your support and love in my life.

Love ya mean it,
Bailey
xoxo