As I’m writing this, I’m incredibly upset as I just came from the last Dairy Club event with our graduating seniors. Each senior gave the whole group their words of wisdom at our picnic at the dairy farm, and although I didn’t cry then, I sure am right now.

Goodbye has never been easy for me. Throughout my life, I’ve had a lot of friends come and go, and when someone I truly care about leaves, it tears me apart. Right now is definitely one of those times.

This year has been fantastic for me, but not consistently. As you may know from reading my post before this, I’ve been trying to find myself in Blacksburg. I’ve gotten super involved and am trying to find solid friends. This whole time I’ve had the idea in my head that college is about the relationships you make and experiences you have rather than the diploma you receive at the end of it all. As Austin Schwartzbeck, one of my favorite people at Tech, said in his “words of wisdom,” college is about shaking hands and not just getting good grades. Easy to say for someone in the dairy industry, sure, because it’s so small and connections are so essential. But really, will I remember the economics test I’m bound to get about a 60% on tomorrow or the picnic I just attended?

Also as I’m writing this, I’m even more upset because I’m about to go to my last FLEX meeting ever. Let me repeat that, ever. The FLEX program (which I’ll write about more in my next post hopefully) has made my year one for the books. I didn’t even know that such wonderful people existed until I was selected to be one of the 34 lucky FLEXers for the Class of 2017.

But like I said, goodbye is not my thing. I’ll be that girl and quote one of my favorite artists out there, Jason Aldean, as his song “See You When I See You” holds so true to what I’m facing right now:

Let’s don’t say goodbye
I hate the way it sounds
So if you don’t mind
Let’s just say for now

See you when I see you
Another place some other time
If I ever get down your way
Or you’re ever up around mine
We’ll laugh about the old days
And catch up on the new
Yeah see you when I see you
And I hope it’s some day soon

I can’t even believe that my freshman year is rapidly coming to a close. But what I’m even more in awe of is the fact that I’ve met so many phenomenal people this year. My life has changed, I’ve made some of my best friends, and I see the world differently. I know who I am more than I ever have before because of these people. And just because these people are so amazing (I’m not just saying this, they actually are amazing), I’d like to give a few shout-outs to the people who have impacted me most in Dairy Club:

Lauren Woloohojian- Thank you for making me laugh more than I knew I could. Blacksburg without you will never be the same and I love you more than you know.

Austin Schwartzbeck- You know everything I want to say, but thank you for being you, being so welcoming, and helping me make the greatest decision of my life to come here at that All-American Show back in 2012.

Mackenzie Moore- You have changed my life and made me a better person. We understand each other and it’s insane because I thought I was alone in how I felt about a lot of things until I met you. I’m incredibly blessed to have you as a part of my life, and don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. New York will not separate us if it’s up to me.

Darin Durham- We will always be twins and we will always be great friends. You’re an exceptional person and I love you like crazy. Thank you for being so wonderful.

Ashley Felock- You’ve shown me what it’s like to completely and wholeheartedly commit your life to the service of others, and you’ve been such an inspiration to me. I hope that I can be half the Hokie that you are.

Lyndsey Royek- You are honestly everything that I want to be in a person and I’m so grateful we had a semester together. You make me want to be a better person every single day.

Cara Woloohojian- It took me about 5 months to learn how to say your last name, and once we moved past you thinking “Elizabeth only wants to be my friend because she feels bad for me,” we’ve actually become so close. You’re one of my best friends, no matter how difficult it is for me to admit that (you’re still gross). Thank you for always challenging me to become stronger.

Joy Nystrom- You’re my soul sister, I swear. We are exactly the same, but we have different hairstyles and laughs. Thank you for being an incredible support system and for always putting a smile on my face.

Kelly Leatherman- You’ve shown me what a true friend is and I can’t thank you enough for that. Although my belongings have been stolen one too many times, you’re absolutely wonderful and I adore you.

Morgan Nelms- You’ve been my fabulous Big, but also my rock. I can count on you for anything, and you’re so honest with me. I appreciate you in every way and know that you’re one of the best friends I’ve made here in Blacksburg.

To everybody else- it’s not that I don’t love you or appreciate you a lot, I just would rather keep this short than write a blog as long as the Bible. I could write a chapter about each of you, and well, ain’t nobody got time for that.

Now that I’ve confessed my love for these people, I just want to emphasize how important it is to appreciate what you have. These seniors weren’t just my friends this semester, but they have been all year. Don’t ever leave campus, home, or wherever you are regretting something. Say goodbye, tell people you love them, and make sure people know you appreciate them. You don’t know how many days you have left with them.

Congratulations seniors for officially becoming Virginia Tech Alumni (in 11 days), you all deserve the absolute best in life and I can’t wait to hear where your paths end up. Thank you for making Virginia Tech my second home, I love all of you so much.