A house can be defined by the materials and walls that a building is constructed of, but a home is something more abstract than that. A home is a feeling of comfort and acceptance that evolves as an individual encounters new experiences and people as time goes on. Arizona, my home is something that embodies just that and is a driving factor in what helped shape me to be who I am today.

I was born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona and for the past 6,887 days I have always called Arizona my “home”, but that has all recently changed as I traded in the never-ending mountains, cacti, and triple-digit temps for a small town called Athens, Georgia where I am now a current freshman attending the University of Georgia.

Even though I attended the same small school since the age of 5 I have always aspired to study at an out-of-state university where I could have the opportunity to experience something new. For as long as I can remember I have been accustomed to seeing the same familiar faces walking down the halls and never thought twice about a simple wave or friendly hello. From the countless Sunday morning ice tea runs to La Grande Orange with my mom to many other unique traditions, these will always be a part of how I distinguish what home is to me.

The past few weeks have been quite an adjustment but I will forever be thankful for the last 18 years I have spent in Arizona but I hope to find my home away from home right here at UGA.