Towards the end of high school, when it came time to start thinking about what colleges I was interested in applying to, there was only one thing on my mind： I wanted to get away from home. I was the elder of two 【A1】 , and had begun to feel the urge to be on my own, that I was 【A2】 to take charge of my own life

Even at the time of being accepted to Virginia Tech, I was 【A3】 at the prospect of starting over, with new faces, and new things to see and do.

But as the time arrived to 【A4】 my bags and prepare to leave, the reality of what I was doing hit home hard. I 【A5】 as I realized that I was going to be eight and a half hours away from everything and 【A6】 that was familiar to me. I was leaving the town where I had 【A7】 ，and all the things about it that I loved

For the first few 【A8】after arriving at school, I thought that I was not going to make it through the year. 【A9】 a tearful call back home, I grabbed one of the few books in my suitcase, Chicken Soup For the Teenage Soul, and I headed down to the library to read a few stories. They had always been able to 【A10】me up before, and 1 was hopeful that they 【A11】 now

On the way out, I passed another girl in the hallway. She 【A12】 the book in my hand and smiled, saying that she had the same book in her dorm room, 【A13】 i took a chance, and invited her to come read with me- Being as 【A14】 as I was, she agreed, and we found our way onto the library.

Before we knew 【A15】，we were surrounded by girls, who，like us，had either read

【A16】 owned the book，and who loved it as much as we 【A17】 As I watched the tears 【A18】 everyone’s faces and the smiles grow as we all read，I realized that I was not alone

The days went on, and I still 【A19】 home—but the campus was beautiful, the people were 【A20】 , and it became better and better as the school year continued.

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