When I first arrived in Happy Valley fall semester of my freshman year, I hardly expected to find a bountiful land of "pop" and "hoagies." In fact, coming from what seemed to be the center of the universe -- New York (which is the city, just for clarification) the thought of Penn State made me laugh. How would I ever get along with these "southerners" I asked myself.

For those of you who hold stereotypes related to the rudeness and superficiality of New Yorkers, specifically Long Islanders, you are probably correct. Everyone at John F. Kennedy High School knew each other, having had some affiliation with some organization or class through their years at the school.

Yet, at my high school, most people walked through the halls with their heads down, so they didn't have to make eye contact to the student passing by from the opposite direction. For many, a simple hello, or any sort of acknowledgement was not thought of as a polite gesture to those you have sat next to in math or English class all of your life.

So I admit, I did spend my four years at JFK with a smile branded on my face, stretched out from ear to ear. (I was born a dork, please don't judge.) I will never forget my friend John coming up to me one of my last days of senior year to tell me his friend has asked earlier that day, "Is that girl on ecstasy, because normal people just aren't that happy?" I could have been offended by that comment, or that nameless person's neglect to embrace life in a positive and friendly way, but to each his own.

After experiencing four wonderfully fulfilling years in my small high school on Long Island, I knew everyone who walked onto school grounds. Every day I would walk through the halls, always saying hello to everyone, or offering a friendly smile, in the least.

Anyway, coming to Penn State, I figured I would have approximately 39,600 more people to ignore my friendly "hellos" or smiles when I passed them on the street. How wonderful to see how wrong I was.

I drove through this vast green campus on move in day, immediately thrown into a world of rolling hills, sunshine and a lot of crazed students and their families. Could such a sight be overwhelming? Sure.

Lucky to be living in East Halls my freshman year though, I was meeting people left and right. It was such a pleasant surprise to be surrounded by those who appeared to be genuinely friendly people.

Perhaps this friendliness was phony, you might say. Because we were all in the same boat, eager to meet friends during the first couple weeks that may have been enough reason for someone to approach you at the Big Onion or start up a conversation in the elevator. But in my eyes, this mindset has prevailed.

Of course, there will be those inherently rude people who will look you in the eye and look away. But this has not been the foundation of my experience. I used to think I lived in a bubble, in a little town that was anything but diverse.

But look at Happy Valley.

I gaze out my window and see farmland for miles and miles. This is a land of way too much Creamery pasteurized milk and honey. We're a world within ourselves. And I think it's a wonderful one.

And my fascination extends far beyond student interactions throughout the community. Even on the Campus Loop.

If you're a Campus Loop regular like me, surely you have come in contact with the whistler. Nameless in my eyes, memorable in my mind, there is one driver of the CATA bus who simply makes my day! As soon as you step foot on the bus you'll hear a jolly "Hello there," or "How 'ya doin?" accompanied by an exuberant "Have a great day" upon departure.

Sometimes on the sunniest days while in quite a hurry, I will wait at the bus stop in hopes that the whistler will pull around the corner and take me to my destination. I mean, honestly, how could I relinquish an opportunity to listen to that good oldies music and my whistling friend?

Then there are those good ol' locals. Not to sound condescending by any means, but don't you just love the locals? Maybe I'm just not used to being around truly friendly people, but some of them just make me smile.

There is one older man who works at Roxy's where I go every morning to eat breakfast and read my newspaper.

About three months ago, while this gentleman was refilling the juice machine, I looked at him and smiled, naturally. "How you doin' on this fine morning?" he asked me. "Off to a great start," I said, smiling still.

To this day, I see the man every morning. And every morning we exchange a few words, and then wish each other a good day. Such simple words are shared between us. And yet, they are so sincere and mean so much.

Already I feel as though I've met so many people, but I know that everyday for the next three years I will pass new faces to befriend.

So, to all you incoming freshman out there: hold your heads high. When somebody passes you by on College Avenue or in the HUB, throw him or her a smile, or perhaps even a hello.

You'll be surprised how many people are eagerly waiting to meet you.