This first week has been both exciting and exhausting, which is probably a good thing. The more things planned to keep me busy, the less I thought about how much I miss home. Distraction is good. Once you get free time, things aren't so good. So the 8 a.m. until 1 a.m. (yes A.M.) events scheduled for the first few days were necessary but physically exhausting.

The week was also mentally and socially exhausting. All my life I've been shy. It takes so much out of me to strike up a conversation with a stranger. This past week, however, I think I've improved, at least a little bit. Sitting in a stadium or on a bus or at a table or on a train full of people I found myself asking about the lives of those around me. Who they are, where they're from, what they're studying. That's been fairly simple. The challenging part is when I'm sitting in my dorm room hearing conversations from down the hall. It's a simple concept to walk out and introduce myself, but for me the fact that it is a large group who already know each other is terrifying. But I have noticed that with time this is becoming easier. Once I am out there, everything is okay and I realize the intimidation was all in my head.

And finally it has been emotionally exhausting. Saying goodbye to my family was heartbreaking even though I know I'll see them in a little over a month and I know they're only a phone call away.

My comfort zone lately has been so far behind me I can't see it anymore. Not really sure where it went or how it got there but we carry on. With essentially no sleep I have forced myself to talk to people, I have been living in an unfamiliar place with hundreds of people I don't know, I have left my hometown, my family, and everything I knew behind me and zip lined into a weird parallel universe it seems. (Honestly though I went zip lining and it was absolutely liberating despite shaking like a leaf because of my fear of heights.)

Just one week in and I think college has changed me. Every day changes me.

I cannot wait to see what the future holds.

To my family, my friends, and those whose paths I have crossed over the years, thank you. Thank you for pushing me to be here. Thank you for making me who I am today. I'll see you again soon.