As I drove out of PB yesterday- windows down, sunroof open, windblown hair, Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” blasting from my speakers- I felt like a cliché, but I didn’t mind.
From the moment I moved into the dorms freshman year at SDSU, I knew I made the right decision about where to go to school. The next 4 years came and went, and there is not a moment I would take back. My friends and I can’t help but think that we had the absolute best college experience out of anyone that we know.
The Greek system at SDSU has plenty of negative connotations, but without it our friendships would not be the same. From endless late nights spent partying at SAE, to weekend trips to Tahoe/ Havasu/ Arnold/ Palm Springs/ Vegas/ Coachella, to attending every DJ that ever made it to San Diego, to hungover mornings exchanging stories at breakfast, the memories made can not be replaced. The feelings are only validated whenever a friend of a friend visits and we hear time and time again “Wow, you guys are so lucky to have found such a great group of friends, thank you for making me feel so welcome.”
For me personally, the relationships in my life are extremely important. I enjoy nothing more than bringing people together and seeing the people that I love, love each other. Though it helps to fulfill me, sometimes I get lost in the happiness of other people and lose sight of myself.
I have been wrestling with the idea of moving out of San Diego since I graduated college last May. I was lucky enough to find a great job that kept me here for an extra year, a blessing in itself that was exactly what I needed at the time. My first year out of college was spent learning a whole lot about myself, my friendships, a career path, and what truly makes me happy. With that, I finally made the decision to close the San Diego chapter of my life and open the next one, whatever that may be. 
Here I am sitting at my kitchen table in Pleasanton drinking coffee, watching the rain fall from the sky, and for the first time in my life not having a plan of action for what is next. I am so blessed to have so many amazing people cheering me on, encouraging me to follow my dreams and reminding me that everything that is supposed to happen will happen. As Hannah told me in her farewell letter, “By changing nothing, nothing changes…” so here’s to making a change!
Thank you for the memories San Diego! And thank you Talee for reintroducing me to the perfect song for the next step in my journey.
Natasha Bedingfield- Unwritten
DEN OF THE LIONESS 