Some people might tell you that picking a college based on the accents you assume the people will have there is a bad life choice. Those people would be wrong. I’ve done it twice, and both times it’s turned out to be exactly what I needed.

Granted, most Texans sound a lot less Texan than I expected them to, but my criteria for college included exactly two things ““ sunshine and a southern drawl ““ and as dumb as that may sound. They led me to Trinity, and moving here has been the best decision of my life so far. And not for the classic teacher/student ratio reasons, or really anything academic or to do with my future career.

Call me crazy, but I’ve always been a big believer in being here more for the experience than for the education. And when I say “experience,” I mean for a ridiculous group of out-of-state students who got lumped together under the dubious leadership of a sketchy RM freshman year and have somehow managed to stick together ever since. Five years down the line, I’m probably not going to remember anything about business stats except that Dr. Burr is adorable, or about philosophy other than there being something about a brain in a vat. But I will remember sneaking into the outdoor pool every Throwback Thursday nights on that beautiful Thomas balcony, sitting circled on the floor in the Parlor (suck it, GabiCags), and the first time I ever witnessed the genius of Bound 3.

Maybe it says a lot about me that every person I would call in an emergency is someone I lived on a hall with freshman year, or maybe it just says something about how awesome people attract awesome people. You are the best group of friends I could ever ask for, and I will always love Trinity for giving me you ““ even when I’m 32 and still paying off my student loans. I mean, how many places can you find someone who voluntarily reaches into a toilet you just threw up in to rescue your earring that fell off? That’s love, people. So, thank you to the graduating Hurlers of Herndon 1st (even). Cheesy as it may be, the part of my education I truly care to take away from this place is the one I got from you. You taught me to be happy in the worst of times, and I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I feel about you now. Hah. But seriously, I will love you all with every inch of me for the rest of my life.