Dear Yocum 217,

I'm sitting in a room full of boxes, wondering where the time has gone.  I am one final exam away from loading up the car and heading home for the summer.  Has it really been nine months already? I vividly remember move-in day last August; the chaos, the people, the tears, the excitement.  And now here I am.  Everything in between is a blur.

Freshman year has been by far one of the most influential of my life.  I have learned so much about myself and about the world.  It has definitely been a journey.  One that has beaten me down at times, but one that I will cherish forever.  So I dedicate this post to the one thing that has remained constant throughout this roller coaster of a year, and that is my home away from home.

My roomie and I originally wanted to live in the building right next to ours, but the only floor available was the ninth (that would have been tragic), so we settled for the next best, Yocum 217. Little did we know at that time it was exactly where we were meant to be.

So thank you, Yocum 217, for letting me decorate your walls with pictures, curtains, and lights to liven you up a bit.

Thank you for being close enough to the bathroom that I can walk to and from comfortably in my towel.

Thank you for introducing me to, and only being 5 doors down from my college BFF.  Experiencing my first year here with her has been a blessing.

Thank you for hosting sleepovers, and for allowing room for your beds to be shared, and your floors to be slept on.

Thank you for Rachel, the world's best RA.

Thank you for the many nights of Grey's Anatomy, Friday Night Lights, and Gilmore Girls.

Thank you for your perfect location.  The dining hall, gym, and all my classes are within a bearable distance.

Thank you for only making me walk up one flight of stairs, because I really hate elevators.

Thank you for putting me in a bed less than 5 feet away from my bestie, so I can talk to her whenever I want.  (Unless she has her headphones in)

Thank you for being a place to cry on my bad days, although I prefer the shower, you are the next best.

Thank you for your incredible view.  From rolling hills, to the perfect sunsets, to the red stadium sky, there's never a dull moment outside that window.

And thank you for being my perfect home away from home.

A dorm room tends to be one of the most dreaded things of freshman year, but I would disagree.  It may appear to be the smallest, white-walled, prison-looking space in the entire world, but for the past nine months it has been home.  And a great one at that.  So here's to Yocum 217, even though your wifi sucked, thank you for the memories.

Yours Truly,
Pantless Sunday's

(This is Abby and I on our first and last day in our room)