The cliché saying that “time flies” is one we should not take lightly. Life has felt like it has been on fast forward since the moment I got here.

When I arrived for my first weekend at Eastern in August 2015, I felt nervous but liberated. I no longer would have to live at home with my family, and I was ready to take on independence.

Now I am at the end of my junior year of college, and I am pressing pause to think about the time between my arrival and upcoming departure with Eastern.

In 16 days I will be looking at Charleston in a rearview mirror on the way to Minnesota. This is a change I am both excited and sad for.

I have not thought about what that car ride will feel like; I can imagine I will feel the same nervous liberation, but not without shedding a few tears for the memories created at what quickly became my home.

To sum up a transformative three years of college, I have endured my best and worst moments, which I am forever grateful for.

I met some lifelong friends, amazing and supportive faculty in the department and learned some life lessons about being an adult and decent human being.

Some moments felt longer than others, but time has flown by because these have been some of the best years of my life.

The first time I walked into the newsroom, the editors intimidated me, but I wanted to get better and learn.

I had a very different and admittedly wrong view of what journalism was and was glad there was a quick correction and push into the right direction by my peers and professors.

Although I now have a love-hate relationship with the newsroom, I will never forget the summers away where I longed to be at a desk typing up a story while goofing off with fellow student journalists.

But as these last few weeks bring stress, I will remember to soak in every second left.

My heart has been both broken and mended at Eastern; I have gained and lost, and I always felt the support of those around me. Words will never accurately describe the experience and feeling of my time here.

Whether that meant professors making sure I was eating when I struggled financially or sleeping enough, or my friends being there to listen to me babble about my emotions and zodiac analysis, there was always that supportive feeling of family.

I am grateful for the privilege of being a student at Eastern, and I will always look back fondly at the memories I made with every single person I met.

As I turn the page to my next chapter in life, I will never forget the ones that came before it.

Abbey Whittington is a junior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or at anwhittington@eiu.edu.