hey, I’m coming home

Thumbin’ my way into North Caroline

A couple weekends ago, I traded my red and black for the colors of my alma mater, the ones that make my undergrad look like Halloween all year and the ones that Georgia fans despise. Nonetheless, it’s the colors that I know and love. With Athens in my rearview mirror, I had a full tank, a happy heart and a cup of black coffee to take on the 359 mile journey to my sweet homecoming in orange heaven.

My orange heaven is in this town, this quaint little town that sits in the middle of the vast open fields with hidden gems tucked away at each corner. My university wraps itself around Buies Creek, where the sunsets are as orange as you can possibly imagine, where the Fighting Camel is proudly our mascot, where we grace starry nights with bonfires, and where the back-roads will take you all the way home.

This is Campbell.

I haven’t been gone long but it feels long enough for the memories to come flooding back to me. It was like coming home to the girl who found herself with the help of the best people she’s ever known. And you wouldn’t believe these people, they’re the kind who will stick out their hand to pull you out into the sun. So I spent the better half of my Saturday reconnecting and wrapping myself in all those familiar warm hugs and the other half, just grasping the reality that I was here. I could tell you all the fine details about homecoming or I could tell you that for me, it was entirely filled with happiness, gratitude and love-so so so much love. Then the day slipped out of my fingers because I found myself glaring right at the cusp of that orange sunset, suddenly wishing I could buy a little more time and stay here for awhile.

This is the place where I learned that you can be fiercely different in a world that wants you to be the same. The beauty of attending a university of 6,000 camels is that you are not just another number. You are a part of this community and you are integral to the growth and representation of this university. We know your name, we know your contributions to this place and the best part? We won’t forget.

Now, everybody loves to say that their university is the best university in the world and that is the way it should be. You should have that kind of love and pride for your alma mater, for the place that shaped and molded you, for the place that knew your potential before you did, for the place that opened the doors to your future and for the place you owe a huge debt of gratitude for the person you’ve become.