Lake Erie Island to Montana Mountains: A Freshman’s Report

Newness, by Elena Schroeder

After about twenty hours of driving, passing through six different states, sleeping at two different campsites, and being forced to listen to far too much country music (it was the only station that would play on the radio), I finally saw the sign. It read, “Welcome to Montana.” It was exactly as I had imagined it to look. The landscape was never-ending. A stark nothingness that was somehow more beautiful than almost any place I had ever seen. I was hit with a cascade of emotions as I drove into the vast landscape of my new “home.”  I was faced with the realization that this portion of my life would no longer include the views, daily reminders of grand memories, and most of all, the people of my hometown.

My first week at Montana State was filled with an overwhelming sense of newness. Everything around me was unfamiliar. I knew no one, had no idea where anything was, and worst of all, a body of water was nowhere to be found. Instead, I was surrounded by mountains, college buildings, and a bunch of people that seemed to only care about skiing or agriculture; things I knew nothing about.

I spent my first few days wandering campus and searching for places that I would spend my time throughout the year. I mapped out where all of my classes were located, found my favorite local coffee shop called International Coffee Traders, and finally met my roommate, Kyla.

Over the next few weeks, I spent all of my time in class, doing homework, and working my new job at Wendy’s. Also, I would like to mention, never go to Montana without a car. Riding my bike 2.5 miles to and from Wendy’s at 5 in the morning on the weekends in the freezing cold was not the greatest experience. Other than that, everything seemed to be going quite well. That being said, I hadn’t really made any close friends at that point, nor did I have the time to get to know anyone very well. That was, until I was approached by a boy while I was reading in the hallway.

One morning, as I was reading The Righteous Mind, by Jonathan Haidt, in the hallway outside of my room, a boy from down the hall walked up and asked what I was reading. He introduced himself as, “Cedar, like the tree.” He asked my name and then I invited him to join me for lunch.

Soon after, I was introduced to Cedar’s group of friends: Jesse, Aidan, Nolan, George, Maxine, Isaiah, and Gus. They all quickly accepted me into their group and I began to spend time with them almost every day. Most days we just studied together or watched movies. However, I’ve also had the opportunity to go sledding on Pete’s Hill, visit the Bozeman Hot Springs, go on hikes, spend days near the creek, and even travel to Idaho.

Now, with only six weeks left in my first year of college, I am so thankful that I was able to move to Montana. I’m doing well in school, meeting new people, traveling to new places, trying new things; I am truly enjoying life. I gained some of the greatest friends I could imagine, experienced incredible new things, and realized how capable of success I am. Most of all, despite moving almost as far away as possible, I discovered how grateful I am to have grown up on Put-in-Bay.

As a side note, I would like to mention how grateful I am for the people that have supported me through everything. I would mention names, but the list would be far too long. So, to make it simple, I want to thank each and every person from Put-in-Bay. My family, my friends, their parents, the school staff, and each community member has assisted me in getting where I am today. Thank you, I will always be thankful for you all.