Have you ever heard the term “Home away from Home”? Sometimes that home away from home becomes your new home, where you grow, explore, change, and experience new things To the place I've called home for the past 19 years. To the place where I met my first friends, played my at my first football game, had my first kiss, got my license, and graduated from high school, I wanted to write you a letter and tell you thank you, but things are changing.

After being away at school for almost 2 years now, the thing I swore would never happen...has happened. My hometown no longer feels like it used to, which has left me feeling melancholy and blessed. You see, when you're a senior in high school, you feel on top of the world. You own your town. You feel unstoppable as you cruise around town and strut through the hallways at school with your best friends by your side. You promise them that nothing will ever change and you complain about those college freshmen who've been away for a year and already act like they're too cool for your town. Graduation comes with tears and joy, but you feel confident that home will always be...home.

The thing is, a year away from home really changes your perspective. No matter how stubborn you are, how much effort you put into keeping those friendships alive, and how many times you go home, your hometown just doesn't feel the same. At first, this breaks you heart, but then it liberates you.

This isn't to say that my home is not my home, my family is not my family, or that my friends no longer matter. While some friendships just won't make it past that first year, your closest pals won't be forgotten and you'll still have those rare gems who are friends for life. Your family is still your family and walking into your home to the smell of a nice home cooked meal and the love of your pets is still fantastic. Your high school memories are forever in your heart and you'll always reminisce on the "good old days." Because nothing beats Friday night lights, band concerts, or prom. You see, these elements of your hometown never change. But here's what does.

Somewhere during that first year of college, you stop caring about what's happening in your high school. You don't care about the drama. You don't care where prom is being held. You don't care who's dating who. You honestly forget about half of your graduating class and you lose touch with almost everyone. But while you're away, you realize you don't really care about that stuff anymore. You don't drive around your town with that same unstoppable feeling and you don't long for those high school days. You realize you could never go back, even if it sounds appealing at times.

This crazy thing happens during that first year where your home becomes people and your hometown becomes irrelevant. You no longer have one home, you have two. Your family and few remaining high school friends are home and your college friends are home.

And eventually, you no longer recognize the "hometown you." It's not because of some dramatic change, but you no longer relate to who you were when you lived in there. You grow up, get a taste of the real world, and recognize how big life is and how small you are. You love who you were, but it's no longer who you are.

Then your second year of college happens. You have your own rent house, adopted a dog, then a cat, and then you have your home away from home. A new set of friends, Saturday night Texas country bands playing, new adventures, and maybe even a boy that you love with all your heart. You hardly go home anymore. You miss your family like crazy, but your hometown isn’t your home town anymore. Yes your family is there, and maybe even some of your classmates that you lost touch with right when you graduated.

As time fly’s bye everything changes.

You see, our hometowns define us for a while, but eventually that changes. While it is a heartbreaking realization at first, there is a sense of acceptance and peace as you recognize that youre beautiful and wonderful hometown is now just another place you've lived and loved. But the liberating part is that you are no longer tied down to one place and labeled by that small community of people. There is a sense of freedom when you recognize you are free to break out of that shell and see the world.

So, my dear sweet hometown, thanks for all the memories. You'll never be forgotten and I'm eternally grateful for everything. I'll see you in the summer, but you might not recognize me. Our relationship has changed, but we'll always pass by one another with a bittersweet smile and a thousand memories. You won’t be forgotten. Just remember I love you and I'll always have Buckeye Pride.