There can be many reasons why a person leaves their hometown. It could be as simple as wanting a change of scenery or as troubling as horrific memories. Personally, I will always love Hyde Park, New York, but I needed a change after eighteen years of residing in the same place. I occasionally return home for major holidays and breaks but have little desire to live there. Here are my reasons why I needed to get out of Hyde Park.

1. There's Only One Place To Eat: The Eveready Diner

Yup, the one diner.... That's it. We have "other places to eat" but you have to choose from either pizza, Chinese food or McDonald's. We have to go to Poughkeepsie for a wider variety of food.

2. IT IS TOO DAMN COLD!!!

I know that in this photo, it doesn't look like much, but the snow and ice can pile up for days and guess what? We still had school. It takes a lot to close the schools. I hate the cold! Mostly because it means no baseball, NASCAR or roller coasters. I need the warmth.

3. I Needed New Experiences

Norfolk, Virginia and Hyde Park, New York are VERY different, to say the least. Hyde Park is a nice small suburban area with the city of Poughkeepsie on one side and the country-ish Staatsburgh on the other side. Norfolk is a city that has a lot of other cities around it, containing suburban areas around it.

4. School

I always wanted to leave New York to go to school elsewhere. Plus, there is only one school in all of New York State that has a Sports Management program and like I said before, it is too damn cold!

5. To Meet New People

Above is Aaron, James, Brennan, Tori and Brandon. Sorry, I couldn't get all of my ODU friends in this and I realized how few pictures I have of my friends. I've made and lost friends since starting at Old Dominion, but I have learned lessons over time. However, not everyone needs pictures with the people they care about the most to show their love and appreciation. At Old Dominion, everyone comes from different backgrounds and has a different story. In Hyde Park, if someone is new we flock to them because they are so different and don't smell like The Eveready Diner.... Yet....

6. I Want My Own Place To Call Home

Sometimes I feel like Harry and believe Hogwarts is my home. Both of my parents grew up in Westchester County and settled on Hyde Park. I want to live somewhere else from where I grew up as well, but it depends on jobs and what advice my mentors give me for after graduation. Personally, I would love to live in Charlotte, North Carolina. My sister lives there, it is a beautiful city, a lot of local music venues and the NASCAR track is right there too. Wherever I land, it will be home.

No matter where I decide to call home, I just want to be surrounded by people that I love, cherish and care about. The idea of "home" is very subjective. My version of home is when the day has come to an end I always go back to the same place every night. Other people may like to travel so their version is wherever they are staying that night. We've all heard the phrase, "Home is where the heart is" which is true, but I also want to sleep in my own bed. I love Hyde Park and I always will, but my legacy is going to be left elsewhere.