Hey, I’m Natalie! I’m a freshman here at UGA, and I am from Granite Bay, California. Whenever I tell people I'm from California, the first question out of their mouth is “oh, so you’re a surfer?” No, I have actually never surfed in my life. While there are definitely parts of California where the stereotypical beach towns and “California dream” come alive, there is so much more to the Golden State. I live in Northern California - three hours away from picture-perfect beaches and only an hour and half away from mountainous ski resorts. My favorite part of California is its diversity - from mountains, to beaches, to big cities, we have it all; any type of food and every type of person. If you haven’t made it out to California yet, it is definitely somewhere I recommend visiting. While I love my beautiful state, I also love traveling (as you can see in my photo, where I'm in London), and college was the perfect opportunity for me to take on my next adventure. The University of Georgia checked all of my boxes for the type of college I dreamed of, and while I miss my family and friends back in California, I can't wait to explore all that Georgia has to offer.