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I had prepared my whole life, or at least every second of high school, for this moment: to attend a top university. Nonetheless, it still felt surreal to leave the only place I had called home to go to college. Despite being an adult and being supposedly ready for this transition, it was shocking knowing everything I knew was about to drastically change.

I spent my summer carefully packing my belongings into bags. My random roommate and I planned out decorations and details to make our new room feel like home. On my last nights at home, my mom helped me tie green ribbons around my things and pack up the car. Everything seemed to be perfectly ready to go, whether I was or not.

The morning of move-in, my parents and I began the road trip to campus. I don’t know if this was a transition I could ever be fully ready for, but I knew the people in the front seats of the car had set me on the right track to be prepared for it. Despite the persistent tears welling in my eyes, I was excited for college.

Once we arrived, it was a pure rush. The enthusiasm was buzzing on campus. We were directed to Welsh Family Hall (the best dorm on campus), and the loud cheers and music guided us to the unloading area. Girls ran out and unloaded my things in minutes, despite the hours and days it took to pack it all up. I no longer thought a second about crying as I was swept up in the moment.

It was exhilarating setting up my dorm room. All the planning and preparations were coming into fruition. It was all going smoothly until I discovered I was missing something. Every pair of socks, underwear and bras I had packed was nowhere to be found. Every. Single. One.

Without thinking, I jumped into action. My family and I ran to the store to buy the necessities, and I tried to make due with what was there. My mom promised to ship everything to me once she got back home. Although it was a hectic start, life went on, and college life continued to carry me through the next week or two.

After my parents left, my mom called to inform me that they never found my missing belongings at home. I prayed to Saint Anthony, but I was left to order all new items. As I put in the address to my dorm room for shipping, it hit me that the location of my home had officially changed.

Luckily, all the items that went missing were things I could replace. However, even after I had gotten all my necessities, it still felt like something was missing. It's like that amazing feeling of cushy new socks, but they don’t quite fit like that lucky old pair.

I had found a new community within my hall. I began to settle into a new routine. I met new friends that I felt like I had known forever, since you quickly share so much life together. Yet, there was this lingering feeling of missing my family, my childhood bedroom, my mom, my lifelong friends and my dog, among other things. These were things and people I couldn’t replace or simply ship to my dorm room.

There is something so good and exciting about all the new things in college, but they play a different role than the old aspects of our lives. I am learning in these first weeks of college how to connect with new people while also staying connected with those who have always mattered to me.

Despite the difficulties that come with this huge transition, I was so excited to go to Notre Dame, and every day I am reminded how grateful I am to go here. My fears of not making any friends or finding my around campus seem so far away now. Luckily, even on hard days, there are reminders everywhere that I am in the right place. While I lost some things along the way, big and small, I am beginning to find my place here.