Until Now Chapter 1

Airports hold a heavy feeling, not always a bad heavy feeling but feeling in itself. Whether you're flying in from Buffalo, Monaco, Toronto or Phoenix, the airport is without a doubt a place of meaningful endeavors, wild stories and romance. A place where love is lost, returned, gained and released. A place of renewal, sorrow, romanticism and longing. Sure I'm a bit over dramatic and currently dwelling on my own mixed emotions, but this airport feels different somehow. I've just arrived at Lynchburg Regional Airport in central Virginia. Its about 4 o clock and the flight from Phoenix has pretty well taken me all day. As we were landing i noticed how barren this area is. Could there possibly be a "big university" in the land of what looks like giant broccoli heads? I am immediately overcome with regret for not further researching my new home for the year. I feel a stab of betrayal for Phoenix as I already referred to this place as home.... before I've even disembarked into it. Leslie said this place was magical but I've been here for 5 minutes and just don't see it. It definitely doesn't look like the pictures. As I bring my new Roxy carry on and Mom's pretty Neiman Marcus bag down the staircase of the aircraft, I get a waft of stifling, sticky, yet fresh air. Taylor Trute, "a friend since birth" as we used to say, is waiting for me here. Although she is supposed to be familiar, we haven't really spoken in what seems like years. You grow alot from 16-18, mentally speaking. Her familiar smile and bouquet of flowers brought immediate comfort that unfortunately didn't shadow the disdain I've already stapled on this city. We grab my things and head to campus. Taylor is filling me in on all the things I need to know about Liberty University. The only research I've done is a bit of word of mouth and whatever Taylor's told me, plus I took a look at the website, and it looked good enough to get Mom off my back. So here I am, a sophomore at LU. Taylor tried to take me to the 'Rot' (dining hall) but I apparently was supposed to check in at an orientation days earlier. I played stupid but pre planned to miss it in order to soak up every last breath in Phoenix that I could. Two friends Jenna and Leslie went to it and I called to get the dirty details. So I'm as good as caught up to speed. Jenna and Leslie are the same age but I'm a grade ahead because I grew up in Canada. This fact I will further explain later. The two grew up together but since I moved to Phoenix 2 years ago Leslie and I have become nearly best friends. We didn't all move out here together on purpose. My Mom had asked me to move out a while ago, after the long battles we'd had at home I needed to be on my own, away from her and from Caleb, who we'll get to later too. Anyways, she suggested a christian university far far away. Virginia is clear across the country AND she said she'd pay. Good enough for me. Plus my ex boyfriend Drew attended so I sent an application to transfer. I didn't think I'd actually go through with it until Leslie said she was going. I hadn't heard her mention it until then and it wasn't until then that i announced my departure north as well. She was disappointed not to be having her own pioneering experience but i assured her that pioneering, in my experience, was overrated. She needed to try it with an expert first (me). True enough I've pioneered a bit. I moved schools in grade 6 and then back to the old one again, which is like going to a whole new place where everyone knows your secrets. I went to a high school where none of my friends but Taylor attended. I spent grade 10 touring the United States with my family in an obscene RV. THEN...we moved back to Canada for grade 11. We then moved to Phoenix in February of that same year. Alright I'm not an expert, just well versed. I guess I always thought I was an expert on changing.. until now.