Eric Johnson

Looking back on the town of Ringgold, Georgia that I left behind for college, I realize how much of my life back home has remained apart of me. However, at the same time, I also realize how much I have grown as a person since coming to The University of Georgia. Growing up, my family always taught me how important it was to be open-minded about new experiences, learning from my mistakes, learning how to think on my own, and sharing my life with the right people. I take a lot of pride in keeping these qualities apart of my life every day. With that being said, I also reflect on my experiences thus far in college, and how they have affected my life.
To say that I was scared to move away from home where everybody knew each other, to a place where there are ten times as many students as there are people in my home town, would be an understatement. I remember how I felt on the first day of moving into my new home for the next year. I remember how everybody was rushing to move all of there things into the dorms. Everything from the sights of thousands of people to the smells of the community bathrooms was indeed overwhelming, but also brand new to me. At first, it was a struggle for me to adapt to my new home, while at the same thinking how cool it was that my parents weren't yelling at me to take out the trash every day. However, with some time and a little adjustment, I began to fall in love with my new home.
Only having been in college for one year, has made me realize a lot about myself. I learned that I love to be around so many diverse and interesting groups of people that I can learn from everyday. I've noticed that I have become a more passionate and inspired person since being in college. Most importantly, I feel like I have reinvented myself, in the sense that I have been able to overcome my fear of failure, while at the same time trying to embrace every passing moment in my life. Furthermore, I have also developed as a writer since coming to college. Through writing, I have discovered more of who I am, which has allowed me to become a more passionate and open-minded person. With that being said, continuing my journey of self-exploration won't be easy, but if I continue to have people in my life such as my friends, teachers, and most importantly, my family, I can move further along my path of new beginnings.