By Lauren Cook
lwcook@smu.edu

I can confidently say that I have fully adjusted to Dallas as being my new home for at least the next 3 years. I am comfortable with it and everyone is really friendly and helpful! My sister and her husband live here as well as my boyfriend’s family. Also, I babysit for two families here in Highland Park that I feel so comfortable around. So, it’s very easy to have a place to go hang out off campus “close to home.” It is weird, though, to think about the length of time that goes by before I see my parents. Being from Florida, I don’t get to see them as often as I would like. I try to talk to them at least once a week, but lately it’s been mainly through texting or calling on the phone once every other week. I wasn’t very good about calling my parents last year, so I am trying to get better at it this year! I want my parents to know that I appreciate them working hard for me to come to SMU. Also, I am getting better at writing letters to my best friends from home and calling them about once a week. This is a good thing to keep in mind for someone who is first coming to college. Call your parents, brothers and sisters, or best friends from home every once and awhile. It will make their day as well as yours!