Rachel Berry had been waiting for this day her entire life. Finally, she’d made it to New York.

Ever since she was a little girl, Rachel had dreamed of being on Broadway. The lights, the music – the adoring fans. She did all she could in high school to prove she was a star. But her talent was wasted in Lima, Ohio. She needed New York.

So for a full week the previous December, Rachel had put all her hopes and passion and energy into her application to New York University. The school’s renowned drama program, she knew, would put her on track to be a star on the Great White Way by the time she was 25.

Then came her audition – a rigorous day of singing, acting and dancing in front of a panel of hard-nosed professors. She was so glad she hadn’t had to face it alone: her friend Blaine Anderson had also been there, chasing his own dreams of a performing career.

Rachel had received her acceptance letter to NYU three days after Blaine got his. Those three long, cold days in March were some of the worst days of her life. She was nearly paralyzed by the fear that she hadn’t gotten in; that she wasn’t good enough for New York. When she finally came home to her own acceptance package – which her dads had handed her along with a glass of champagne and a cheer – the joy was so overwhelming that she couldn’t believe she’d ever doubted herself.

Now, here she was, leaping forward into the next chapter of her life – with her best friends in tow and her sweet, loving boyfriend Finn waiting for her back home in Ohio. What more could a girl ask for?

***

It was August in New York. Hot, humid, crowded. Horns blared and taxis whizzed by like yellow streaks along the grimy, gray streets.

Kurt Hummel was simultaneously thrilled and terrified. Here he was – really, really in New York – ready to start his life.

He’d tried to put his excitement into words the previous night while he sat in his quiet, empty bedroom in Ohio. His typing echoed off the bare walls as he wrote a brief post on his blog.

August 17, 2012

Kurtsies, I don’t think I even need to explain how exhilarated I am to be moving to NEW YORK CITY. Expect a lull in posts for the next few days while I get settled at NYU. I cannot, however, promise I won’t tweet pictures of random people on the streets wearing fabulous outfits.

Love, Kurt

Thankfully, he wasn’t making the journey of his lifetime alone. Kurt looked over his shoulder at his boyfriend, Blaine, who was rolling two large suitcases toward the doors of the NYU dormitory they would call home for the next nine months.

Kurt had his own share of baggage to lug into the building – a task made substantially more difficult by the fact that he was trying hold a phone conversation at the same time.

“Yes, we made it just fine, Dad. We just got out of a cab and we’re headed into the dorm now…Yes…Dad, I know…I’ll be sure to call you tonight once we get settled…Okay…Thanks, Dad. I love you, too.”

As he tucked his phone into the back pocket of his jeans, Kurt could hear Rachel’s voice cut through the city sounds. She was chattering incessantly to her dads, who were struggling to heft their daughter’s luggage out of their cab and up to the front of the building, where Kurt and Blaine stood waiting for them.

From the moment they’d all decided to go to college in New York, Kurt, Blaine and Rachel had vowed to make the big move together. The months leading up to this day had been filled with overwhelming joy, anxiety, anticipation and sadness as they readied themselves to leave the only home they’d ever known to follow their dreams.

Kurt felt a pang of sadness as he listened to Rachel prattle on to her parents. As much as he’d wanted to help his son get settled at college, Burt Hummel couldn’t spare any time away from work at the tire shop. So he’d left Kurt in the capable hands of Rachel’s dads that morning at the airport, vowing to visit New York as soon as he could take the time off. Kurt had promised to update his father regularly during his first few days in the big, bright city.

Kurt glanced over at Blaine, who wore a miserable expression as he watched Rachel and her dads interact.

Unlike Kurt, Blaine had not made a similar promise to his parents.