When we leave for college, we leave a lot behind. We move on from high school, old friends, and most of all our hometown. Picking up and moving to a completely different place, whether it be 20 minutes away or 20 hours, is hard to do. We're forced to adjust to the new cultures of college and especially our new surroundings. It's hard for us to believe at first that this new place could be our home, but somehow it happens. Never did I think that Lowell would become one of the places I feel most comfortable.

The first time I saw Lowell, it was a culture shock. I was used to small town life, so driving through the city for the first time put UMass on the bottom of my list. I loved and felt most comfortable with you, my little hometown, where everyone knew each other and wanted nothing to do with a city. Finding out I had to go to school in Lowell was maybe one of the saddest days of my life at the time because I knew I had to leave you and the life I was happiest with. Thankfully, I gave it a second chance.

I left you, my beloved hometown, over a year ago, and have changed more and more every time I return. The more I grow, the more I realize you're not right for me anymore. You gave me what I needed as a kid and teenager, but adult me needs more than you can offer. I need more than a small town, for now.

The strangest thing about coming home is not feeling nostalgia anymore. I have a memory that I can recall from every corner of town, but these memories don't make me long for the past like they used to. I took a step into my high school recently and felt almost nothing though I spent four long years trudging up and down those hallways. The majority of my friends are no longer here, and those who are have moved on like me. My new memories and jokes aren't here, which are some I cherish most. My new favorite places aren't here either.

This is why I'm breaking up with you, my hometown. You'll forever be my hometown, but you're not my home anymore. I'll visit, but I won't stay for long. I need to grow, and you can't grow with me. For now, Lowell is my home. I've taken my life and put it in a place that was new, but has grown to be familiar, and a place that I love.

I'm lucky to have two places to go to that I can find a home. You will still, and always, hold a special place in my heart, but it's Lowell that's taken the bigger piece. I'm moving on, but I'll still looking back at everything we shared. Just remember, it's me, not you.