This is it

Tonight I had the pleasure of going out to dinner with some of my closest friends here in Atlanta. Looking back on this past year, my first year in the South, I never expected it to be this good. I thought that I was done after undergrad; that I had made all the great connections I could possibly have made while in Boston and it just couldn't get any better than that. I figured that spending only 2 years in Atlanta could never comparte to the 4 years I had spent in Boston. That I was too young to make good friends in grad school because my classmates would all be so much older than me. That I wouldn't be living on campus so how could I possibly get into the whole Emory "scene."

I have been nothing but pleasantly surprised. I have made incredible friends here in Atlanta; including those of whom I spent my evening with tonight. I have really grown to love this city; I've found my niche, and I especially feel nothing but comfort from those I have chosen to call friends. I can picture some of my lifelong best friends coming out of my experience here in Atlanta. I would be sad that it's halfway over, but I have a funny feeling that I may be staying here longer than I originally anticipated. Atlanta may be the place to be, I'll have to add it to the list.

This summer, as with all experiences in which you are separated from those you care about, will really test me. It will show me which relationships I will prioritize, and which ones I will invest in for the long run. It will be especially difficult because so many of my friends are going to be abroad. It's going to be hard keeping up with everyone's schedules given that I need to also consider potential 12 hour time differences. Although, after it's all said and done, I have a really good feeling that the people with whom I spent my last night here in Atlanta, will be the ones that I will keep close in my thoughts.

Best of luck to everyone. Tomorrow I start a new chapter in both my professional and personal career.

California here I come!