right where i belong

This year I did the scariest thing I've ever done; move across the country all by myself.

I get asked all the time at college "You're from California? So why did you come here??". And honestly I don't really have an answer. I never planned to move from Southern California to the middle of Wisconsin- a state I had never thought about more than once in my life.

Leaving my home and my family was terrifying. And I will admit, I hated the first couple of months in Madison. I missed my home, my family, the beach, and was dealing with a lot of hard events; rush didn't turn out the way I had hoped, making good friends was challenging, I was going through a breakup, the weather was a major adjustment, etc. To be honest, I was fully planning on transferring out of Wisconsin as soon as I could.

But all of a sudden something snapped and I realized I was right where I belong. I fell in love with my friends, my classes, the campus, Madison, and everything about where I am. I have no idea why. But one day I was dreading my life at college and the very next I was happier than ever.

Regardless if you are dealing with the stress of chasing a college, not loving the one you're at, or if you simply are struggling to feel like you belong where you are... know that things will always happen for a reason.

Everything that I have experienced (good and bad) throughout my college experience has helped me feel as happy and at home as I am today. So... I am going to share my three top college experiences that seemed bad at first but have led to the best outcomes possible:

1) Having a bad rush experience ----> Meeting my best friend:

Joining a sorority was always something that I imagined being part of my college experience. So when I ended up not receiving a bid from the house I loved I thought everything was ruined. But little did I know that not getting a bid from that sorority would lead me to bonding with a random girl on my floor who is now one of my best friends in the whole world. Both of us were upset over not getting the sorority experience we had hoped for but ended up learning we had so much more than that in common. Now we are both trying to join the same sorority because we can't spend more than an hour apart. Not only did I meet her but I was also able to meet and get close with so many other girls who were in the same situation as us. Looking back on bid day, I couldn't be any more grateful for how the situation turned out.

2) Moving from sunny SoCal to chilly Wisco ----> Loving seasons:

When I first decided to come to Madison from Newport I was so scared to leave my warm, sunny, beach town and move to the Midwest where I knew I would experience pretty harsh seasons (& polar vortexes!!). At first the weather was perfect! And enjoying fall was one of the coolest things ever. I adored watching the leaves change and see the first snowfalls of the year. But quickly enough... winter hit. And it was scary. I had never lived somewhere this cold. I mean, the lake even froze over!!! Which is SO cool btw. Even though living in the freezing cold has it's challenges I've learned that there are so many fun things that come with winters in Wisconsin. Being able to ice skate on the frozen lake with friends, have snowball fights, make snow angels after nights out, and even just enjoying the beauty and difference of how Madison looks in the winter has been extremely rewarding. As much as I love and adore California, having the ability to experience the ups and downs of the seasons for the next 4 years is something I never knew I would cherish so much.

3) Experiencing a hard breakup ----> Meeting the most supportive friends:

The only reason I applied to Wisconsin was because my ex-boyfriend was. But when I got in and he didn't, I felt like I needed to do what was best for myself. When we ended up breaking up 2 months into college I thought my world was over. But, think twice, because the most loving, supportive, and fun girls stepped in to make sure I was taken care of every minute of every day. I never knew that I could love a group of girls as much as I love my friends. Through tears and laughs and smiles and screams they have always and will always be by my side. And along with that I got so so lucky to have such a caring roommate who showed how much she loved me throughout the breakup. Having to be on my own for the first time in 2 years was so hard, but knowing that I have the best friends to get through it with me was the most rewarding experience of college by far.

So, even though there will always be ups and downs with every experience throughout life, just know... you are right where you belong ♥️

Lots of love,

Lolo