When considering colleges during my senior year, I looked at academics, research opportunities, proximity to home, and where my parents thought I’d be safest. However, one factor I failed to consider was how often I would spend time outside. In high school, with all my classes in the same building and a parking spot right next to the back entrance, I didn’t even bring a winter coat – there was no reason to shove it into my locker for the 30-second walk to and from my car at the beginning and end of the school day.
Starting at the University of Michigan, I realized this would no longer be the norm. Living a fifteen-minute walk from the Diag would have me facing the outdoor elements every day, and among other cozy winter clothes, I definitely needed to invest in a new North Face coat. Regardless, I was excited for a change of scenery, and with the excitement of exploring a city I had only traveled to for orientation and a campus visit, I knew I wouldn’t have a hard time adapting, and that my nerves would only last so long.
No other college campus I toured in the Midwest even came close to matching the beauty of Ann Arbor. Touring at the beginning of October—when the leaves had begun their transformation and the slight chill in the air made fall seem like the perfect long-awaited relief to the 80-degree days—made me absolutely fall in love with the city’s magic. I distinctly remember walking through Law Quad for the first time after seeing pictures and videos taken by others, and realizing that although I was mesmerized by what I saw on social media, no picture could accurately portray the beauty of Law Quad in the fall with the sun peeking through onto the grass while students laid out doing work or played Spikeball. The feeling you get from walking through such beautiful architecture is unmatched, and the novelty still hasn’t gone away.
I was lucky enough to live near Nichol’s Arboretum, the Arb, during my freshman year, and I have been obsessed with it ever since. Walking through the beautiful clearings and winding paths does wonders to clear your mind after a difficult exam or long paper. It reminds me of the trails I used to walk with my dad and brother back home almost every weekend, stopping at the farmer’s market halfway through and grabbing some strawberries to snack on before continuing. Ann Arbor isn’t exactly like my hometown, but I appreciate the subtle similarities they have, as this has made me less homesick.
I love spending my free time exploring Ann Arbor outside of Central Campus. I often make the trek to the East Liberty/Main Street area on weekends to try a new restaurant or visit my favorite macaron shop, Le Bon Macaron (highly recommended for a sweet treat run!). One of my favorite memories has been walking down Main Street under the lights strung from trees after my friend’s birthday dinner as we headed to the afterparty, stopping every so often to take pictures when we found another good backdrop. This area of Ann Arbor is mostly populated by graduate students and other non-undergraduates, and the upscale vibe creates a mature environment I would love to be among after graduation if I choose to stay in Michigan.
Although the freezing cold winter stretches that seem to last forever are annoying to deal with, the beauty of the campus is preserved. There’s nowhere else I’d rather slip on ice and fall in front of all the other students trying to make it to class. It honestly feels like a bonding technique, experiencing the hobble to class after freezing rain and insane wind, laughing all the way because of how stupid everyone looks. Being bundled under huge puffer coats, scarves, gloves, and hats is simply the norm during a Michigan snowstorm, but it’s a sacrifice students are willing to make to attend such a well-rounded university.Â
The calm of a winter night in Ann Arbor is criminally underrated, as many people fail to experience it for fear of the elements. Although there is a bus that takes me from the Ugli to my house, I challenge myself to make the walk back with the snow falling in chunks, collecting on the Diag silently. The lampposts illuminate the ground enough to see footsteps where people have taken shortcuts and places where snowballs were carved out, the remnants of a post-dinner battle. The quietness of it almost feels intimate, and the cold becomes the least of my worries as I become lost in my thoughts on this walk home.
Now, it’s the second semester of my sophomore year, and I’m dreading the end of April, knowing I’ll already be halfway through my time at the University of Michigan. I feel incredibly lucky to have experienced the beauty of my campus, and I can’t wait to keep exploring.