A Liveable Community

As we took the exit marked – University of Maryland, my heart started beating just that much faster.  I had been attempting to not worry myself until the last possible second, and this was it.  My eyes were wide open as the car roared forward, taking a right past a sign that read “College Park: A livable community”.  I could hear my dad smirk, as he undoubtedly had just read the same words that I had. “Some town slogan, he said, aren’t all communities livable?” From the back seat, my eyes grew wider as I attempted to take in every last detail of my surroundings. Although there were slight hints of excitement and anticipation that first day, it was overrun by complete and utter panic.  

As panicked as I was, I think my mother was actually worse.  She had been living in a perpetual state of anxiety every since we left the house, about six hours prior to arriving on campus.  I’m actually fairly certain that she had been in that condition ever since I sent in my acceptance letter, to a college that was not in the same state as her.  Nevertheless, she and my father spent the rest of the day helping me unpack my belongings, buy items that we could not fit into the already over packed car, and helped me find my way around the campus.  The nervousness never really went away that first day.  In fact it probably took a week, possibly even a month, or a few months for them to completely leave.  They did though, eventually.

It’s funny that for the next four years of my life, after every winter break and summer vacation, passing that exit sign brought me nothing but pure joy and indescribable thrill.  Even now, when I see that memorable “livable community sign” I can’t help but smile and bounce around on my seat in anticipation.  In fact, there is very little I wouldn’t give to go back to the first time I saw that sign and live it all through once more.