Hey guys!

This is a post that I did not want to make, nor did I want to happen. 

Yes, I have officially left Oahu and am back on the mainland. 

It feels very strange. Being the first of my friends to leave made it all the more upsetting. I was fortunate enough to see them all before leaving, and am glad that I was able to move everything to storage, clean my room, and catch my flight, all within 24 hours. 

Looking back on my year, there are quite a few things that stand out to me. One of these things is my overall feeling about Manoa. When I think back to first semester, I think about how I had no regrets. I was able to see much of the island and make many new friends. When I think about second semester, I feel a little regret. I feel like I wasn't able to get around the island as much, which was really just because I was working. However, something I would like to point out is that the friends I made became that much closer to me. I am especially thankful to the times I was able to leave campus and go to new places, such as China Walls or Stairway to Heaven. 

I hate goodbyes, and saying goodbye to my freshmen dorm room, as well as my friends, was not an easy thing to do. Similar to leaving the island for Christmas vacation, the second I got in the shuttle I knew I did not want to leave. Given it's my new home, Oahu has such a special place in my heart that makes it all the much harder to leave. 

My biggest hope is that this summer is an enjoyable and relaxing one. As much as I want to return to campus and see my friends, I know that these next few weeks off will be something I need. From working constantly, to studying nightly, I need this break. As much as it hurts to say goodbye to a place that has grown to be so special to me, I know this is something I can not put off. 

But, as promised, I will now tell you guys which tower I was in. If you remember from one of the very first posts on this blog, I withheld sharing what tower I was in for the sake of privacy. Well, the wait is no longer over. The tower that I called, and will still call, home is: Lokelani. 

Lokelani is a beautiful tower. If you ask anyone on campus what they think about the dorms, you'll soon find that people either love the dorms or hate them. Me personally, I loved them. It's hard to say what exactly I liked about it, but there was something so special about living on campus that I can't explain. There is absolutely nothing else like living on college. I absolutely loved living in such close proximity to my friends, from being in the neighboring building to the girls, to being just floors away from Eric. I loved having such a unique floor, where the girls never showed their faces but the guys invited me to go around the island with them. Yes, my floor was probably what I complained about the most, but knowing what I know and having done what I've done, I would most definitely go through the tedious application process for living on the floor. 

If I've taken anything away from this year, it's how little I knew before coming to college. How little I knew about myself, even. As I leave Oahu and return home, I'm coming back with such a different perspective that it's, in a word, exciting. It's exciting to go back with all the knowledge you've now acquired. 

I know I've been rambling, with no real direction of this post, but I do want to share that unless you've lived on campus, or even been to college, you cannot truly relate to this post. If you are an upcoming college undergrad, get excited! There are tons of things to look forward to, and college in Hawaii is an experience like no other. 

Here are some pictures of the views you get everyday while living in Lokelani.