Everything Good Must Come to an End

Image Courtesy: Hannah King

“Today was my first full day in Athens. I feel scared still and emotional. I really miss my family and my friends. I know it will get better, and I am here for a reason.” 

This was the first line of the journal entry that I wrote on my first day in Athens on 8/14/2021. I wrote it in my lofted bed in room 831 of Creswell Hall after I had said my final goodbye to my parents. I remember writing this so vividly; I had tears welling in my eyes and so much fear in my heart. 

The first time in a new city is always a little overwhelming, especially when you have just downsized your whole world from your home into an 11x14 dorm room. I remember having a long list of anxieties that made me feel like the walls were closing in. Would I make friends? Where are my classes? How do I cope with homesickness?

I had no idea what was in store for the four years I would spend in Athens and how it would shape me into the person I am today. While my fears were valid and justifiable, their weight in my world was so meek in comparison to the joys I have found in these past years at this university. 

“It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.”

-Tom Hanks, “A Leauge of Their Own”

This quote has defined me and my journey in a multitude of ways. It is a phrase that I have come back to frequently in my life to remind myself that the only way we can grow is by challenging ourselves to do hard things. When we push ourselves beyond our limits and the threshold of what we think we are capable of is when we allow ourselves to truly blossom into better versions of ourselves. I can say with confidence that attending this university has done just that for me. 

Choosing UGA was not an easy choice for me. I was terrified to move six hours away from home in a state that I honestly knew nothing about. However, I knew that to grow, I needed to not choose the safe option and thus took a risk. 

Coming into college, and throughout it, I always heard people say, “College is the best four years of your life!” I’ve kept this in the back of my mind throughout my time at UGA, and early on, I realized that this was just a reminder, not a requirement. There have been more days than I can count where it felt like college was not the best years of my life and where I wanted to throw in the towel and drive home. Friendships can be messy, finding a house to live in is challenging, boys can stink, classes can be demanding, and sometimes rainy days make you miss your Mom and Dad. College is hard, and it is okay to feel like these might not be the best days of your life. Yet, in those hard days, your inner self is growing, learning, and working through hardships to become a stronger and more mature version of yourself. I have learned more about who I am and who I want to be in these four years than I had in my eighteen years of life prior. Every day was not a walk in the park, and I learned that I should not pressure myself into feeling like I had to make every day feel like the best day. Because in the end, the hard is what has made my four years here truly great.

“Well, I've been 'fraid of changin'; 'Cause I've built my life around you; But time makes you bolder; Even children get older; And I'm gettin' older, too”

-Fleetwood Mac, “Landslide” 

This lyric from Landslide is one of my favorites of all time. What I love about this lyric is its relevance in my own life. 

I was afraid to leave home and come to UGA because Nashville was all I had ever known. I truly had built my life around that city. But the value is always in the journey, and I have found that here.

While yes college has been hard, it has also been rewarding. I have met so many people whom I cherish, involved myself in organizations and extracurriculars that have helped me find my passions, and had opportunities I had only ever dreamed of. I have gained a sense of confidence and a sense of purpose. As I have gotten older, I have become a bolder version of myself, thanks to my time in Athens.  

And now I begin the cycle all over again. I am so afraid to leave Athens and step into the real world. I have come to build my life around this place and the people here. I have grown older here, I have learned here, and most importantly, I have loved it here. But my time here has made me bolder and has prepared me to leap into my next adventure. 

What they say is true; everything good must come to an end. As my time here comes to an end, I feel so grateful for the 1,460 days I have been able to call Athens my home. Glory, glory. 

Strike Out,

Hannah King 

Editor: Maddie Launer

Athens