This past October, I reached a crossroads. I knew I was miserable in the place I called home for 2 years, but I was too nervous to leave. Entangled in apartment leases, friendships, and extracurricular commitments, I felt I couldn’t actually follow what my heart was telling me. I was motivated by the fact that in a span of a few months, my father was comatose for five days, my mother had a heart attack, and my dog passed away unexpectedly. My heart wanted to run home and be with my family because my world felt shaken, but I couldn’t decide if it was even possible.
As a Winston-Salem native, I grew up knowing the rich history that completes our city. From the Reynolda House to Old Salem, I always knew my hometown was special. As a child, I adored spending days in Old Salem with my family. I felt as if I was stepping out of the present and being transported to a simpler time for a few hours, a refreshing sense. I distinctly remember looking up at the massive, beautiful building, reading, “SALEM COLLEGE” across the top, and thinking how fortunate these students must be to attend such a beautiful school right here in a historic village.
Last year, almost every weekend, I found myself driving through Old Salem whenever life felt overwhelming. Those roads still held that same refreshing sense that they did as a child. Each time I came through, I would look over and see that same beautiful building labeled, “SALEM COLLEGE.” I felt a tiny tinge of jealousy pierce through me as I admired the campus from afar.
As each weekend ended, I would take the long drive up US Highway 421 to a tiny mountain town I had to call home. I couldn’t help but begin to think that this place was no longer for me. I felt as if I was living in the shoes of a version of me that no longer existed; a version that lived before I was faced with mortality and grief. I felt trapped.
It wasn’t long after that that it became increasingly evident that something was drawing me to come home. One day, out of nowhere, the decision came to me clearly and didn’t feel so daunting or incorrect; I was going to transfer. I didn’t care what I had to do with my apartment lease or my credits; I was going to finally find a way to listen to what my heart was telling me all along.
And so I began the next chapter of my life, the shedding of an expired version of myself that no longer fit. After much consideration, reflection, school tours, and lots of research, I settled on where my heart felt it was calling me: Salem College. It was drastically different from where I was coming from, but that is what made the change exhilarating. I knew I was about to be immersed in a new school culture, meet brand new people from all walks of life, and experience a different style of education. The change didn’t make sense to most people on the surface, but oftentimes the best things in life don’t. The intuitive, gut feelings that call you to a place or to a person don’t always feel logical, but you learn to listen. While trusting my intuition often felt overwhelming, it has done nothing but pay off for me during my transfer journey. Salem was always my home, I just didn’t always know it.
