As a current senior, I find it difficult deciding which colleges I want to apply to. Not all schools offer in-person tours, but Elon University did.  After deciding to tour a campus in-person during these times, I felt safer driving up to visit than taking a flight to North Carolina. 

The peaceful and relaxing drive took 11 hours. I was able to see so many sites going through all the different states: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, my final destination. 

Traveling via car was a different experience than flying there on a plane. Although the journey was longer, I was able to see so many other sites that I could not view from a plane. 

In Florida, there were more buildings than in other areas, specifically apartment buildings, as well as more roads. In Georgia, it was more of a wetland area, and filled with swamps and patches of grass. South Carolina was where I was able to see more trees and forest-like features. The fall leaves began to show, with the trees turning from green to orange to red. Although North Carolina was very similar to South Carolina, I saw more of a change in the color of the leaves in North Carolina. 

When I arrived in Elon, it had been a very long day. My mom and I drove around the campus and I immediately fell in love with it. We had a tour scheduled for the next morning at 9:00 a.m. We checked into the Hampton by Hilton and went to bed. 

The following morning, I could feel the cold air from inside the room. I looked at the weather app and saw it was 68 degrees. It was the perfect temperature. We quickly got ready and headed to the tour. 

To keep the visitors safe, the campus required masks and assigned one tour guide per family. Having one guide all to myself helped me get a closer look at the things Elon University has to offer other than its beautiful campus.

Their red-orange brick buildings along with the patches of grass and all the oak trees make the campus look even prettier. The campus has one street that is known as their “town.” The cities of North Carolina are far but still accessible. The campus offers a variety of programs. 

After the tour, my mom and I went on a hike. I loved experiencing the outdoors, especially in such a beautiful state. Our tour guide had recommended a taco restaurant that we should try, located on the one street of town Elon University has to offer. The tacos added just another plus of Elon. 

My mom and I woke up early Sunday morning to head back to Miami. I slept for most of the trip back but still had a great time. The traffic on the way home was worse than on the way there. Although I was sad to leave, I hoped I would come back soon. The drive home consisted of the same four states. I very much enjoyed Elon University and all it had to offer.