莉莉蔓生 ’24 had no way of knowing 全球大流行 would rock the world during 她的大学搜索. 但经过这一切，她在红玫瑰中找到了完美的家 城市.

As I put on my turn signal 和 took the exit marked “Downtown 兰开斯特” in June, I had a momentary flashback to the first time I made this drive, more than three years 之前.

Picture this: it is April 2020, the height of the COVID-19 p和emic. 货架被洗劫一空 卫生纸和罐头食品. 新闻上的死亡人数不断攀升，但我没有 认识有这种病的人. 我的家乡康涅狄格州沃林福德.我没有经历过 as much tragedy as neighboring cities of New York 和 Boston, but we were frightened, 不管. In the midst of it all, I was trying to finish my senior year from my dining room table, grueling over AP practice exams 和 ruminating on my future.

When I applied for college the previous fall, I clearly had no crystal ball to predict 全球大流行. 我只知道我想上大学，摆脱我的 家乡. Despite the incredible universities in close proximity (Yale being a 20-minute drive from my house), I k新 I wanted to step out of my comfort zone 和 explore somewhere 新. 所以我才找到了宾夕法尼亚的一所小型文理学院.

“I k新 I wanted to step out of my comfort zone 和 explore somewhere 新. 这是 我是怎么找到宾夕法尼亚一所小型文理学院的.”

莉莉·维宁，24岁

“你会知道的”

我被富兰克林吸引了 & 马歇尔致力于学术卓越，社区 参与和全球教育. 也是在这个时候，我知道出国留学很流行 我的卡片. 我还听到了关于这座兼收并蓄的城市的精彩评价 兰开斯特.

I couldn’t wait for my first visit—which I planned to do, if accepted, over spring 打破.

With acceptance letters arriving from colleges 和 the looming deadline of May 1 to 我在存钱的时候，我陷入了困境. F&基于它的所有品质，M是我的首选 on paper, as well as the connection I felt after a student tour guide (who became a good friend), gave me a personal “tour” of the campus over FaceTime. 但我不能 我承诺在一所我从未去过的大学里学习四年. 

这是 what led to my first drive to 兰开斯特 during the height of the p和emic, 2020年4月. 当我们的白色本田思域穿过乔治华盛顿大桥进入 一个荒凉的纽约，我转向我的妈妈.

“我怎么知道我做出了正确的决定??我问.

“你会知道的，”她回答说.

她是对的吗?? 当然.

“From the moment I set foot on campus, I k新 I could spend four years at F&M. 的 beautiful brick buildings, the cheerful blue Adirondacks spread throughout Hartman 绿意盎然，树上的樱花盛开... 让我感到宾至如归.”

莉莉·维宁，24岁

From the moment I set foot on campus, I k新 I could spend four years at F&M. 的 beautiful brick buildings, the cheerful blue Adirondacks spread throughout Hartman 绿意盎然，树上的樱花盛开, 和 yes, even the squirrels, who had completely taken over campus when students vacated, 让我感到宾至如归. 我也期望 to find a completely deserted campus without students in residence, but I was mistaken; numerous 兰开斯特 locals on walks through campus with their dogs or young children 给了我们一种(社交距离)挥手和微笑. 从这个细节，我就能看出来 F&M was integrated into the community around it, which sealed my decision. 那天晚上, 我付了定金. 我想成为一名外交官.

Since that fateful day more than three years ago, I have made many drives from Connecticut to 兰开斯特— now in my own car, still a Honda Civic, 和 never again over the George Washington Bridge; another global p和emic aside, I doubt I’ll ever encounter light 直接穿过纽约市的车辆. 我车的GPS显示是兰开斯特 “回家.“我也是.

城市里的夏天

在F&虽然，我还是觉得自己还没有完全体验过 红玫瑰城. 除了去 意思是杯, 中心市场, 和 the surrounding stores — journeys that had gotten scarce during the dem和s of the semester — I realized I had not explored nearly as much of the city as I had 希望.

So this past summer, I set my mind to embrace the experience of “兰开斯特 local.” I tried a 新 restaurant every week; sought out live music 和 other events 市中心; drove through the farml和 in search of hiking trails 和 roadside produce markets; 和 accompanied a group of students on a scavenger hunt around a neighborhood I had never been to, discovering community gardens 和 breathtaking murals. 我参观了新 coffee shops 和 bookstores, getting to know Lancastrians along the way who told me 他们喜欢这个城市的一切.

“My 遗愿清单 grew more quickly than I could eat, dance, 和 hike my way through it. 但在这个过程中，我对F产生了更深的归属感&M的家乡.”

莉莉·维宁，24岁

Despite my 新 efforts to live the life of a local, my 遗愿清单 grew more quickly 比我能吃、能跳、能走的还多. 但在这个过程中，我遇到了不可思议的人 people, explored countless 新 destinations, 和 developed a deeper sense of belonging 在F&M的家乡.

During my last year of college, it is tempting to mentally jump to May 11, 2024, when 我走过讲台，接过文凭，转了转流苏. 但我也不是 ready to say goodbye to the College 和 the city I have learned to call “home.” So 许多东西留在我的 遗愿清单. 但我已经意识到，这并不是把经历标记为“完成”.” It’s about appreciating all there is to offer here 和 now instead of constantly thinking 关于未来. This is where I have grown into the young adult I am today, a place 这句话将永远留在我心中.

这是家.

这个故事最早出现在富兰克林 & 马歇尔杂志(2024年冬季). 莉莉蔓生 24年在F实习&并以双学位毕业 in 英语 和 经典. 她现在是webrestaurantstore的数字内容专家.Com，最大的在线 餐厅用品和设备的经销商. 关注她的健康播客t, 和莉莉一起升级. 

插图:Robert Nuebecker

莉莉的兰开斯特遗愿清单

• 探索 亚米希人的国家
• 去打保龄球 & 玩街机游戏 几十年
• 抓 发怒者棒球 游戏
• 庆祝 第一个周五 市中心
• 往下看 Pequea溪
• 徒步旅行 Chickie的摇滚
• 探索 当地的啤酒厂
• 我吃遍了每个小贩 中心市场
• 取一个 热气球 骑
• 在…看音乐会 长时间的公园

探索兰开斯特

F&M's home city offers a rich mixture of arts 和 culture filled with experiences for every taste 和 preference — all within safe walking distance of campus.

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