Finding My Home Away From Home in ADPI
Leaving the only home I had ever known as the baby and only girl of my Ohio-grown family was nothing short of intimidating and absolutely terrifying. If you would’ve told that little girl 3 years ago that moving to Knoxville in the fall of 2023 would bring me the greatest friendships, bonds, experiences, and memories of my life, I’m not sure I would have believed you. I never knew what it was like to have a sister. And to be honest - I was content with that. I found it fun to have footballs and soccer balls chucked at my face, and preferred to spend my weekends at the baseball fields as the dedicated younger sister. I didn’t know any better, and was OK with it. I’m sure you can imagine what it felt like running home to Alpha Delta Pi just one week after leaving the tom-boy life I was used to - nervewracking, exciting, and every emotion tied into one.
I was hours away from anything that felt familiar, and didn’t know if anyone would understand me the way I always heard sisters do. But the second that “Camp ADPi” bid-day shirt was thrown onto me and I was greeted by girls that looked as sweaty and as thrilled as I was, I felt the missing piece of my life fall into place. What I found was a group of women who listened. Women who asked about my family back home, and cared. Women who celebrated my wins over the past three years like their own. Women that saw me at my lows, and gave me the helping hand to reach my highs. Somewhere between weekend coffee runs and late night laughs to traveling the country together, these “new friends” turned into bridesmaids. The friends you don’t just choose, but you grow with and learn from every day. ADPi and the 520 faces that fill it have made my home away from home. I am eternally blessed to watch this chapter grow, and feel proud to watch my best friends lead it so fearlessly.
Because of them and this chapter, I’m where I’m becoming who I’m meant to be. So, thank you, ADPi - for my 5 roommates, my little ‘family’, my best friends, and my sisters. Because of you, home isn’t just a place anymore. It’s the people.
With love,
Liv Dring, AC ‘23