Looking down the other road

Last night, the Tar Heels won against Duke. Growing up in Chapel Hill, everyone had an opinion on the college basketball rivalry. My sister went to UNC Chapel Hill, so I was a Tar Heel fan from the get go. For a while, I was even certain I wanted to attend UNC — and I'll never forget the heartbreaking moment I received the email that I had been deferred. I was offered second year admission, meaning I would have to go somewhere else my freshman year and transfer in for sophomore year.

Every now and then, I think of that turning point in my life and the series of events that followed. Ultimately, I decided not to transfer to UNC. I had gotten into James Madison a few months later, and decided to give it my best shot. I fell in love with JMU — from the campus to the food to the people and too many other things to list. I didn't even consider leaving.

Whenever I think back on this year, I'm overcome with a little bit of curiosity — what would my life be like if I had made that choice to transfer? Would I still have been as involved in campus organizations? Would I still have incredible friendships and college roommates? Would I have put myself out there, or would I have stayed in a comfortable and familiar space knowing I was in hometown territory? While I'll never know what life would've been like, I think it's safe to say I'm happy with where life is now.

It's hard to look back on pivotal moments and wonder about the path not taken, because it's more than just that one choice. I don't know what would've happened if I took a different route to work yesterday, let alone how different my life would be if I made a huge decision four years ago.

I think I'm okay with that.

I like wondering "what if" from time to time — so long as it doesn't consume me. I think it's okay to wonder about some alternate reality, as long as it doesn't take away from enjoying the one you're in. Thankfully, I'm enjoying where the road I took has taken me.

So I still have intense love for UNC, if nothing else because I grew up there and my sister went there. I can wear my old Carolina t-shirt (given to me by the aforementioned big sister) and root for the Heels without feeling like it cheapens the path I chose. If anything, I think it solidifies my choices — I know that at the end of the day, I love two schools for two entirely different reasons. And that when it comes to UNC and Duke, I'll always opt for Carolina blue.

[Boo duke, go dukes]