: 
The people I made friends with when I first joined dA were mostly my age—so it's really surreal to see y'all going to college. It's surreal for me to go to college. When I see my dA page and those of my past friends, I still see us as little high school freshmen making a place for ourselves on the internet.
It's amazing how much everyone has grown up. It's hard to believe I made this account five years ago because it sure doesn't feel like five years. It feels like it was only yesterday I went on a Percy Jackson binge, then posted gross backward drawings and short stories that now make me ask the question, why though?
To be honest, I'm really curious about how you are. Some of you I was pretty close to before we lost contact. So if it's okay with you, I'm going to share some things about my past year, and I'd love it if you did the same (though you are under no pressure to!) I'll tag some of you at the bottom to call you out, but please, any of you comment! My memory is horrible.
My College And Life Update:
Last year, I moved into a little—sorry, huge-ass dorm. I was supposed to have a roommate, but she ended up taking a gap year. So long story short, I had two rooms to myself, and as it was a corner room, it was really like one extra big room and one normal sized room. It was about as lucky as I could get.
I got really attached to my dorm room. Like, I was 100% in love with it—still am. I like it more than my room at home, which is not hard because I was moved into the attic as soon as I left home. Here's a picture from the beginning of last year:
(any of you recognize your art? jessoterick ;D)
In the first week, I made a number of friends I kept. Near the beginning of second semester, I lost one friend and gained two. It's really hard to describe friendship. If I say, "I have a best friend and some close friends," it falls flat.
This year I asked myself more what it means to be a friend, and if a "perfect" friend exists, and how self-love and the love we have for a friend relate. I've learned about arguments and anger, and forgiveness, and how we can lash out, but also how we can listen.
Is it weird to think that friendship is a skill? But it's more than a skill—our personality, even our hopes and dreams, are tied into friendship. We often judge the virtue of a person based on their ability to be friends. It's weird and interesting to think about.
I'm very thankful for the people I've met and the people I've become close to. I'm so thankful for the nighttime walks and conversations, the screaming about Ancient Greek, the dinners out. My peace of mind this year has been so much better than past years. There are still ups and downs, but I, overall, feel happy—and that was not always the case in high school.
In my first year, I learned what the inside of a cat looks like, how to translate Ancient Greek, how to sing in a choir and enjoy it, and how to map stars. I really enjoyed my classes. I became someone who speaks up in discussions and even, at times, leads them. I've come so far from my CSSSA days, when I only spoke when called on.
This summer has been good, what with writing my novel, working for my mom (we're launching a cloak business), seeing friends, and reflecting. I'm flying back to school tomorrow, and classes start on my birthday (the 27th). I'm nervous about it, but I'm also excited. So much to come back to.
So, that's all I have to say! If you have any questions, feel free to ask—I'd love to have some conversations. And if you would prefer to keep the conversation private, just shoot me a note.
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