For most people who have grown up in Wyoming, the University of Wyoming is not necessarily their first-choice school, and Laramie doesn’t really come to mind when thinking about their destination. Personally, I was set on moving to Fairfax, Virginia and was going to get my degree from George Mason University; however, that is not how it ended up playing out, which was probably one of the best things that has happened to me.
After spending four years in Laramie, I can easily say that I have fallen completely in love with it. Once I moved off of campus my sophomore year, I was able to really experience Laramie as a town.
I was able to try restaurants downtown, as well as the food trucks around town that everyone talked about frequently. But possibly one of the absolute best things that came of exploring Laramie was the fact that there was great coffee outside of what was served on campus.
I found myself falling in love with Laramie the more I drove around taking photos, attending local concerts, being part of a great community of people and finding beauty in the small things, like the summertime sunsets in downtown Laramie.
I can vividly remember participating in the Big Event my junior year and thinking to myself that I was part of something amazing, and it was in that moment that I knew it was going to be a doozy when it came to saying goodbye.
Other people may have had similar experiences when falling in love with Laramie, and some may have had completely different ones, but the point is that Laramie is actually a really amazing, little college town that I think gets overlooked a little too often. The issue is if you have fallen in love with this little town of ours but are graduating, how do you leave it behind?
That question doesn’t really come with a straightforward answer; however, I can speak from my own experience and how I am starting to cope with the idea of leaving Laramie. To start, picking a destination to move to after college really helps start the coping process. Personally, I want to move to Los Angeles and the thought of that alone gets me excited enough that I am willing to step away from Laramie and really leave my comfort zone.
Another thing that I have found to help my anxiety and sadness about leaving Laramie is the simple fact that in order to fully achieve the dreams and goals I have for myself, I have to move out of Laramie. I have had the dream of being a music journalist since I was 10 years old, which is more achievable in an urban setting.
The last thing that you can really do to prepare to leave is to spend quality time with the people that really matter to you. It is important to focus on positive energy in your last couple of months because you don’t know when you’ll be back, so make memories that will last. The good thing is that the town of Laramie makes that pretty achievable.
Whether you will be leaving Laramie this summer, or a few years from now, I wish you luck when parting ways with this unique little town of ours, but be prepared for another chapter in life filled with experiences and growth.
