Blogtember Day 6 : Making the transfer

Ok, I'm doing it! I'm joining up with Jenni and chiming in for Blogtember!

Here is the prompt today: 

Day 6. Describe a distinct moment when your life took a turn

This one is almost too easy. Yes, there was a big turn the day I met Mark, or the day I accepted my first job out of college, but I know for a fact that my life took one of the most drastic turns the day I decided to apply for a transfer from Stephen F. Austin State University to Texas Tech in the fall of 2006. (yep, I'm talking about my college experience again)

I was SO excited when I got the confetti-filled acceptance letter from SFA in 2005. I loved the campus, I loved the distance from home, and I loved the idea of starting new! I went in head first majoring in Interior Design. I had a good roommate, old friends and new friends, and I liked my classes. My freshman year I even rushed with a service sorority and got involved with them. I fell in love with the church and college group there, and I really liked the small town and all of the adventure there was to be found. 

In the summer of 2006, I came home to work a job at the YMCA. It was a ton of fun and I met one of my closest friends, Jessica, while working there. One night, I think I was browsing the internet for Interior Design or trips or something (I don't remember exactly) when I came across a Google image that linked to the Texas Tech Interior Design group. There was a class there that went on a yearly trip at spring break to different cities in the US. They did presentations and, needless to say, it sparked my interest. Seemingly out of nowhere, I started talking about a transfer. I mentioned it to my parents and they thought they brushed me off when they told me I should think about it some more and head back to SFA in the fall. I remember discussing it with my coworkers, too, even though there was no real 'plan' to transfer.

Fall started back at SFA and I dove in even more. I decided to enroll in the marching band, which is what I had done all through junior high and high school, so it was something I knew how to do and I knew I would make friends doing. I made a TON of friends that semester, lived in an awesome on-campus apartment, and continued having a good time in college. However, I noticed that the Interior Design classes seemed to slow down and not be very challenging, especially when we had a project to design pumpkins during the fall. (I'm still not sure what that was) Overall, though, I was still learning and having fun with my classmates. 

Then one night at 11pm during the middle of November (I think it was) I logged on to the internet, sat down for about 2 hours, and applied to Tech. I graciously told my mom that she "owed me $50". When she asked me why, I told her it was for the application fee to Texas Tech. I didn't really talk to her or my dad for about 24 hours, but something happened (I don't remember talking them into it) and they went along with my new direction. We quickly planned a trip to Lubbock for a few weeks later to visit the campus (nope, I had never been before!) and I loved it. I anxiously made the transfer in January 2007 and didn't look back.




we stumbled upon the carol of lights on our first visit, so I ended up going 4 years in a row! (yes, already decked out in Tech gear, and I still have and wear that sweatshirt!)


snow on the ground during our visit...

I get a lot of flack sometimes about not acknowledging SFA as part of my college experience, but it just seemed like a transition point to me. Somehow, I knew that Texas Tech held something better for me, and I was brave enough to follow through. I'm still extremely grateful for my time at SFA because I had a GREAT time, but I think I was supposed to stumble across Texas Tech, and I'm extremely glad that I did! By the way, I ended up going on one of those spring break trips! Tech ended up being one of the best experiences of my life; and I have friends, an insane amount of pride, and my husband to prove it! 





If I can offer any advice, I would say to put on a brave face and make a big change when you can feel it tugging at you. It will be hard, it might be scary (just ask about my first semester at Tech), but it will most likely turn out to be the best decision you made!