Out of all the recruiting visits I went on, this one was especially memorable, not because it was particularly hilarious or horrific, but a little bit of both. I had just gotten off the plane when I received a text from an unfamiliar number; it was my host. She welcomed me and then gave me instructions on where to meet her and what the plans were for the night. It was the team's goalkeeper's 21st surprise birthday party. It should be noted that I had never attended a party in my life, and I never met anyone on this team. Therefore, I was a little overwhelmed and was tired from the two flights I had just taken. 

Upon arriving at campus, my host met me outside of the dorm and helped bring all my stuff up three flights of stairs. We dropped my things off and headed to the surprise birthday party. Upon reflecting, I realized that I was not dressed appropriately; I wore converse sneakers, sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and my high-school soccer parka. At this point, everyone knew that I was a recruit, but here's the twist… No one knew who's recruit I was. The soccer team's goalkeeper was also a member of the lacrosse team, so both the women's soccer team and the women's lacrosse team were present. The soccer team thought I was a lacrosse recruit, while the lacrosse team figured I was a soccer recruit. Because of this, no one talked to me, so there I stood in the corner of a strange, dark house at a birthday party for someone I had never met before. Eventually, my host came back; she was slightly intoxicated and brought along a few teammates. At this point, everyone got a clue that I was a soccer recruit. It was a little more bearable, but I was overwhelmed and intimidated as I watched both teams belt out lyrics to the latest songs and dance on tables. I was relieved when people at the party began leaving; I thought, “Finally, I get to go to bed.” Oh, how wrong was I…

Instead of calling it a night, we headed to another dark party house, and this time it was humid, smoky, and packed with sweaty guys. My host had taken me to her boyfriend's party that was hosted by the football team! My host had had a few too many drinks and was in the dancing mood and as a circle of athletes formed, she jumped right into the middle and fearlessly got down. She had an extensive list of dance moves, and she used them all. While we were at the party, my host and one of her teammates were dragged to the side by my host's boyfriend to have an intervention about one of their friends. Apparently, this friend had been having issues with his long-distance girlfriend and had left the party, which prompted a mission to this friend's dorm room to talk to him. My drunk host and I sat in the hallway, awkwardly and silently. 

After the fiasco, we finally headed back to the dorm. It was across campus, so we had a distance to go, but as we walked, her boyfriend gave me a tour, naming all the buildings and answering all my questions at two in the morning. Once we got back, he made sure my host got into bed safely and bid us goodnight. Being able to sleep in my host's roommate's bed rather than on the floor was the best part of that night. 

The next day my recruiting visit turned around. I was in a setting that was much more comfortable. I met my teammates while they played pickup soccer; I sat off to the side, freezing in my parka, regretting wearing converse instead of UGGs. The team played soccer with a passion and did not seem bothered by the 30-degree weather. I also took note that the team had a drive for their academics and learning. These ingredients are what I was looking for in a college. The moral of the story is that although I had an awkward night, I look back and laugh with my teammates about that night. I'm happy to say I choose this college, and I could not be happier.

* Originally published on September 3, 2017, by Madison Kimball