A few weeks ago I had a friend come and stay with me. She had never been to Texas. As a matter of fact, this was her first time in the states (She’s from Wales). I was excited to show her some southern hospitality. I was making my list of things to do and I knew I had to take her on a tour of campus. I couldn’t introduce her to the wonders of Austin, TX without showing her one of the largest universities in the state.

She arrived on Friday and the first thing we did was walk to campus. As we made our way, I quickly tried to figure out which places I wanted to show her. I knew I had to take her the tower because it’s one of the main staples of the university. And, I had to show her McCombs since I was in the business school. But, where else should I take her? The more I pondered where we should go it dawned on me how many places on campus I truly loved.

After going to UT for four years, the excitement of being at the university had begun to wear off. Now that I’m a senior I take a lot of things about the university for granted. When I first got here, I walked around campus in awe. UT is such a huge place. It was overwhelming. Each new building I entered as a freshman held a new undiscovered gem. Now that I’ve been here awhile I’ve lost the feeling of excitement I used to get. It is such a normal part of my life that it’s lost it’s flare. But, walking around with my friend a few weeks ago brought back some of the energy I used to feel. As I gave her a tour, I was able to see UT through her eyes. In the spirit of the UK, I must say the University of Texas is ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.

To be honest, the tour made me a bit melancholy. My time at UT is coming to an end. I’m so glad my friend came in town to help remind me how lucky I am to not only be part of an amazing program, but also go to a school with a fantastic campus. As MPA’s were lucky we have a fifth year here. During my next year and a half, I’m going to try and spend sometime enjoying the places that have brought me some of my best memories.