How do you say goodbye to a place and a community that has been your home for four years? This is something that’s particularly difficult for me, because even though I like to think I can be pretty adaptable, I don’t enjoy change. Like one of my role models once said, “I can be flexible. As long as everything is exactly the way I want it, I’m totally flexible.”

Lorelai Gilmore is probably not the best role model, but seriously, I can be flexible I just really hate it. I am not looking forward to packing up and moving yet again. I don’t want to leave behind everything that has become my “normal” and redefine my daily routine.

When I first came to Tarleton as a freshman everything was overwhelming and under whelming at the same time.

I know, what does that even mean? Moving to Stephenville was a surprising culture shock for me. I had never considered myself a “city girl” and I was really surprised when my fellow students informed me that yes, I am in fact a city girl. Growing up in the DFW area, I’ve never batted an eye at having to drive thirty minutes or more to go somewhere.

Moving here where everything is practically on one street was mind blowing. I had also never heard about FFA and I thought that rodeo was only done in old western movies.

This was remedied my first week at Tarleton when I looked out my dorm window and saw a couple of guys casually roping a plastic blue steer in the parking lot.

However, each year when I moved back home for the summer I would find myself feeling irritated that going to Walmart or to the grocery store was more than a five-minute commute. Stephenville has pampered me and I’ve become accustomed to shortened commute times.

Now I have to graduate and return to the real world where a normal work commute can be anywhere from half an hour to a whole hour long. There’s a lot of things that I take for granted here at Tarleton that as soon as I return home I am quickly reminded of how lucky I am with the school I chose.

I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to join our Tarleton family. I’ve met so many different people and I hope that my view of the world has grown since my freshman year. I am no longer surprised to see people walking around in spurs and cowboy hats. I’m also not surprised to turn the corner and see someone riding a scooter with a green Mohawk. Tarleton has also enriched my life by providing me with an amazing work family at Student Publications. I’ve worked for the Grassburr for four years now and I’ve been both Editor-in- Chief and co-editor throughout the past three years.

The time I’ve spent working on the Grassburr has meant more to me than I ever thought it would.

There’s something different about working for a completely student run publication and working alongside your peers on year long projects.

There’s a rush of pride and accomplishment each time we open up the first box of Grassburrs for the year and see all of our work in print. Each year my goal has been to keep improving not only myself but this publication as well.

This year when I’ve walked around campus I couldn’t help but to see Tarleton’s attempts to improve as well.

So much has changed since I first stepped foot on this campus four summers ago and I know that when I leave there will still be more change to come.

So, this is where I say goodbye to the school that has given me so much and provided me the freedom to become slightly more flexible and accepting of change.

In the words of yet another Gilmore Girls character, “Super cool party people [I] bid you super cool adieu.”