***This love letter is the first in a series of stories from Texas State alumni who have gone on to shape the San Marcos community for the better. It's meant as a kind of handoff - Bobcats who came before, passing down what they've learned about making the most of a new home, one story at a time. It's also a reminder that today's freshmen could be tomorrow's business owner, artist, or civic leader, if the community gives them the room to grow into it.***

 

Sarah Smith - East Texas Transplant

I will never forget the euphoria I felt driving into San Marcos via Aquarena Springs Dr for the first time. My mom had been lamenting about how I'd love Texas State University and living in San Marcos if I'd just consider it. "It's such a cool place," she'd exclaim, "I remember going there as a kid. A river runs through campus!" To be completely honest, I didn't know anything about Texas State University or San Marcos - it simply wasn't on my radar. So I let my mom sign us up for a campus tour as a detour on our trip back to East Texas. As we drove past Sewell Park, I knew there was absolutely no better place on earth for me to live.

 

Our first stop was our official campus tour, and it was a night and day difference from the tours I had received at the "bigger schools." The Texas State University team made me feel like I was more than just a number, that I would have a home here if I wanted it. And boy did I want it. We walked the hills in the heat, and even that didn't deter me. I remember having the worst realization a 17-year-old could have at that moment - my mom had been right all along.

 

Two young women smile at the camera at River Pub on the banks of the San Marcos River. This photo was taken in 2009 in San Marcos, Texas.

My first time visiting San Marcos, we met up with my mom's best friend's daughter (a Texas State student who is also named Sarah) at River Pub. (2009)

 

I moved to San Marcos in the fall of 2010, and I've been here ever since. I remember feeling so scared being away from home, but the San Marcos community welcomed me and had my back while I got my footing for the first time as an adult. There was a lot of grace given to me those first few years of calling parks by the wrong name and thinking I'd "discovered this great little place" that was actually a beloved local restaurant. I can't thank y'all enough for always being kind.

 

An unexpected treat of being embraced by the folks from San Marcos is that so many people are connected to this place. Every person who asked where I was living had a great thing to say about San Marcos and their experience here. “Oh, have you been to that restaurant?” “I worked as a performer at Aquarena Springs!” “I grew up nearby, and my favorite place to swim was redacted.” “My friend owns a store there, you have to go and say hi!” This place is magical to so many more people than we could ever imagine, and I was so proud to claim a little piece of it for myself.

I couldn't imagine leaving San Marcos after graduation, and I haven't. Not long after, I got to talk about my love of this place in an official capacity, as the Social Media Specialist for Visit San Marcos. I've been in marketing for Visit San Marcos for 10 years this fall, and my goal every day has been to give someone that same feeling I had driving down Aquarena Springs Dr for the first time. I want folks to know, even temporarily, how wonderful this place is.

 

To the locals, I want to thank y'all for your patience, warmth, and kindness to all of us who came here as freshly minted "adults" who had quite a few things to learn about the real world. There are so many San Marcos residents who also came here for school and stayed, who are invested in this city - their families, businesses, and money have all shaped this place. And every August, a brand-new class of freshly minted adults rolls into town needing that same patience we were given, whether it's learning a park's real name or, bless their hearts, figuring out those one-way streets Downtown. Sometimes we all need a reminder that most of them are on their own for the first time in a new place and just figuring it out.

 

And to the students, I want to warmly welcome you to San Marcos. This is a great place to grow and learn, but it's also a sensitive area that thrives off respecting the ecosystem and the local community. I urge you to learn about what makes this place so special: the river, the plant and animal life, its history, and most importantly, its people. Explore new-to-you local restaurants, shop at local boutiques, and attend events going on around town. This is your San Marcos as well, and I can't wait to see you embrace it.