Scared, excited, and thrilled. Three words to describe how I felt on the AIT/MIT bus on the way to my first convention. One more hour… five minutes… we have arrived! This is it. 

What had gotten us all through the week had finally arrived. What all older members had been RAVING about; I was about to experience. I walked in and I immediately knew that the weekend ahead was going to be top tier. I got my nametag, found my roommates, and we headed up to our room for a few minutes. Soon it was time to eat dinner! We all went to eat, talk, and laugh with unfamiliar faces; we all knew that we would eventually become each others’ best friends. 

Later that night, when we were all back in our rooms, we suddenly heard aggressive knocking on our doors. My roommates and I rushed to get our shoes and name tags. We opened the door and were given BBYO sleep masks to put on over our scared eyes. We walked down the Hudson Valley Resort and Spa: blindfolded, holding hands in a line with strangers, soon turned friends. Down the hallway, elevator, and into the ballroom where my first separates would be held. That feeling in separates made me feel loved, and I knew I would love BBYO. Seeing those BBGs on NSR’s Regional Board in the middle of the circle, unafraid to share their story was so inspiring; right there and then they became my role models. The rest of the weekend and the rest of the year I looked up to them. After separates, I felt so loved by everyone around me and I knew BBYO would become my home just like everyone else. After separates, the night included spooey eating, laughing, bonding, practicing our spirit song, and so much more fun.