Going away to college is a special stage in any person's life. It is a time of adventure…of writing a new chapter. We're talking about a life-changing moment so there is no small amount of trepidation involved.
 
For me, that meant driving less than two hours away from the comforts of Chattanooga to Murfreesboro, Tenn. Looking back 30 years ago (my fingers struggling to type the number), the excitement was there, the newness, the wonder of it all.
 
But I was roughly 90 minutes away from the only home I'd ever known. What's it like going a half world away? Enter our heroes Cristina Perez and Monica San Juan.
 
"I didn't realize it at first," Cristina recalled. "I was just super excited to come over. Then I got here with my family at the start of school and everything was perfect. The night before my parents left, they came to the dorm to say goodbye and when they closed the door, I was like, I'm alone right now.
 
"I didn't realize it, but when they left, it was hard at first. At home, you know every single person and then you come to a different place. It was hard, but you adapt. It helps being a part of a team."
 
The ladies came to Chattanooga from Spain. Pamplona to be exact. Cristina in 2013. Monica in 2014. Chattanooga is not home, but it is.
 
"I think Chattanooga is pretty similar to where we come from," Monica shared. "(Pamplona) is very friend-oriented...hanging out with your friends, going out and enjoying the company of those around you. That's pretty similar to here.
 
"Chattanooga is similar to our city in size and everything. For me, it wasn't that big of a culture shock."
 
The two-some fit seamlessly into the culture of the Chattanooga Mocs women's golf program. They're quick with a laugh, good students and extremely hard workers in practice and on the course. In a lot of ways, Cristina and Monica are the prototype for what Colette Murray wants on her roster.
 
"If I could carbon copy two players and have them repeat for the rest of my coaching career, it'd probably be those two," Murray smiled. "Away from the golf and school, the things they are here for, they're two of the most wonderful people I've had the pleasure of working with.
 
"Cris and Megan (Woods) were in that class that really rejuvenated me as a coach. Then Monica arrived and it got even better. Monica and Cristina have made this their home. They will forever be woven into the fabric our program.
 
"I know they'll always be proud to be Chattanooga Mocs."
 
The transition for an international student is educational for them as well as the lives they touch. The Mocs have always been a melting pot program with several states – Tennessee, Texas, Pennsylvania and soon to be Georgia – mixed with a variety of different countries – Australia, Austria, Scotland, Colombia, Peru, Sweden, South Africa, France, Denmark, Canada, Thailand, England, Poland in a year and of course, Spain.
 
One of the things that makes UTC special is the family atmosphere around the athletic programs. That's a special link for this duo as the Spanish culture is very family-oriented. It's another thing that made their transition easier.
 
"It did," Monica continued. "It also helped that our team is very small. It's very much like a family...I consider my teammates my family. If we played football, it's such a big team, it would have been much different.
 
"Everyone in our athletic department is super welcoming. They always make us feel like we're home."
 
Cristina added, "They know us. They know our names and are very nice and supportive."
 
It's been something that has assimilated both into the fabric of the community. Each has spent virtually the entirety of the last two years in Chattanooga going home only briefly at breaks while staying in the Scenic City during their summer siestas from school work.
 
"I actually told Cris this the other day," Monica continued. "Now, and I love going home and do it as much as I can. But now, for me, I consider Chattanooga as my home. Whenever I go back home, it's like a vacation almost. It's like when you grow up and move out of your parents' home, when you go back it's like a vacation or break."
 
"It's not hard for us to stay here," Cristina chimed in. "We enjoy it here."
 
In life, there are many twists and turns. Let's face it, some roads are longer…have more hills and valleys…but in the end, the moments in which we live define who we are, who we become. It's in every decision big and small. Especially when an 18-22 year old is deciding who is going to impact such a formative time of their life.
 
So what makes Chattanooga special?
 
"Just everything," shared Cristina with Monica quickly adding, "I think the size (of the city) and all of the things you can do here. You can go hiking...we haven't been kayaking but that's right there and easy to do. You have A LOT of options. As athletes, we like being outdoors."
 
"I like the social life (here)," Cristina said "It's growing and I feel like as you get older, it gets even better."
 
Monica picked up on that theme, "I also really like going out to eat. The restaurants in Chattanooga...there are so many of them and really good options."
 
From experience I know this, Chattanooga is certainly better for the addition of these "hometown" ladies.