So..freshman year is gone.

Just like that.

It's weird what has all happened in just a year, I sware I could write a novel.

I had road trips, crazy weather, love, lust, hatred, romance and suffered yet another loss.

I came into my first year at college not really knowing what to expect, and who I would return as.

Praying I wouldn't change, praying time would just stop and I could remain 18 forever...living at home with my amazing family and friends. Waking up to Kylie next to me in a bunk bed.

I always thought my life was so perfect and things couldn't get any better.

Change.

It's a word used several times, sometimes OVERUSED*cough*obama*cough* ..but it's what I feared.

My life did change. My priorities changed, it was just different.
Luckily, I still kept the friends and family just as I left them.

I actually added on a few and about a trillion new experiences I never thought I could do.

I went caving, I drove 28 hours in a car with a friend for 3 days just to end up back at school, I visited other colleges, I saw Tennesse and Atlanta, I got a BOYFRIEND. ha. never thought that would happen.

Oh...Did I mention I got hit in the face with a bowling ball?

I guess we'll get to that.

Lets recap...

Before I start..I will add a few of my friends and I spent a lot of time in one of these...


Here I am..first day of college, and first blog entry.



Then there was the first football game where I was hoping to make some new friends that might stick.




I often traveled back to Charlotte, this is from when I went to a concert with my parnets greyson and rachel

I got to see my best friend Rachel basically every two weeks all year.


I befriended a midget. Who turned out to be pretty damn cool, her real name is Laci, I just call her Nugget.


Went to ACDC, spent some quality time with my dad.


Found out I look up to my parents and take after them more that I ever thought..


I also realized I don't really fight with my parents at all anymore, which is great.


Saw the kids as much as I could without being there too often or too little.



Turkey Hollow of course, my family's first trip out of the house together in years for the App vs. Western game.

First time able to vote.

I was in college when the first half black president was elected.


multiple trips to APP.

Also went to visit Victoria at Gardner Webb.

I went caving. Where I found out I am more clostrophobic than I thought.


The first time we went bowling in college...doing the exact same thing I got hurt for months later..



Except this time there were less of us so more people were watchin for me..I would NOT be so lucky later.

Christmas time with the family

Creating and being a part of multiple pranks..

When I first started hanging out on the 4th floor.

First road trip in college to Jacksonville.

My first Bonfire...

I turned 19.My dad turned 50.

Winston turned 12..ending that rough year.

...and our family learned how to dance again.

It snowed....and snowed, and snowed and snowed...
on SPRING BREAK.

Of course the epic road trip..tracing over the state of North Carolina about 4 times? 28 hours.

learning to go with your GUT instinct...






and that being an idiot has its consequences...









but you always know who your friends are





...sometimes luck isnt always gonna be on your side either...








but you can learn to laugh at it later















trips to a tunnel...being one of the only sources of entertainment in cullowhee.




Concerts and time with my best friend.



and road trips of course. from the mountains to the beach and back..all in 3 days.


Learning to let my guard down



and fall for one of my best friends




losing a tooth, but realizing how many people truely do care about me, brings me to tears.




never losing those same 4 girls.

no matter how much we changed some things will always remain the same.

Within this year, I lost my grandmother, and moving on has been harder than I ever thought it would be. But when losing someone you love very much, or being away from family for so long, losing a tooth, spending a night in a waiting room in the ER, you become very aware of what you do have. It is human nature to take life for granted, because no one will ever realize what they have until it is gone and unfortunately there is no way to aviod that. All I can do is wake up every morning, and try to live life to the fullest. It took being away from home for me to realize how much I truely do love my family, and respect my parents. And after 5 hours in the ER, one tooth and 12 stitches later, I found myself extremely aware of how lucky I truely am. My friends, some of them cried. Some of them who weren't there with me at the time, stayed up all night as if they were waiting for a phone call when I left the hospital. Some of them, I hadn't heard from in year, but called me just to see how I was doing. I had 12 missed calls the next day. And though this experience was rather..expensive, and emotionally draining in a way I am glad it happened. I never realized how many amazing people I have in my life, and how truely lucky I am each day for every thing I have, and everything I am given. I thank God every day, and I know the night everything happened someone was looking out for me.

In a year, just one year, I came in never wanting to change.

But I have. I leave my first year in college, more enlightened, more in love, more thankful, for everything and everyone in my life. I could brag about my friends and family to a point of tears without even trying. A year away, I feel closer to my parents more than ever. I feel confident in my friendships, and for the first time in my entire life I feel confident in myself.

I feel as though I could do anything, and go anywhere.

And though for a bit I was in denial, I leave my first year in college as an extremely different person than the one who entered it.

Its been an amazing year, and I can't wait for another one.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Thanks for reading.

I love you all,

~The SamDawg~