Being raised on Maui is hands down one of the things I am most grateful for. The quality of life is amazing, the island is beautiful, the people are friendly, it’s so safe, I could go on for pages. I am thankful to call Maui — and Hawaii — my home, and wouldn't want to have been raised anywhere else. But, as most teenagers do growing up, I got bored. Maui became too small for the big plans I had ahead. I grew tired of the Hawaiian lifestyle and became envious of my cousins that were spread across America and the fast-paced lifestyles they were living. I had it set in my mind that as soon as college rolled around, I was getting as far away from Hawaii as I could. As soon as college became a topic of conversation in my high school, I was planning the places I would escape to; Colorado, Washington, New York, maybe even back to Maryland. My list was large and Hawaii was not one of the places I planned on staying.

I kept my mind set on leaving Hawaii until junior year when my life welcomed a huge change. The day before my 16th birthday my mom found out she was pregnant, which resulted in me finding out a few weeks later. I had been an only child my entire life so as cliche as it sounds, this news was life changing. As the months grew closer to my little sister being born, I began to rethink my decision to leave Hawaii. I was going to be a big sister, and I definitely did not want to miss out on watching my only sibling grow up. As much as it pained me, I added University of Hawaii at Manoa to my list of colleges to apply to.

Fast forward a couple months into my senior year, my brand new baby sister Mia was born and became my tiny, toothless best friend. College acceptance letters were starting to roll in and one by one I was accepted to the schools I had applied to scattered all across the nation. But I was not as excited as the younger me would have been. I began appreciating Maui and Hawaii more than I had ever before. I took extra time to watch the sunsets, admired the beautiful mountains for a little longer. I skipped out on beach days with friends to spend a little extra time with my family, and eventually found myself missing Hawaii and my family even though I hadn't left yet.

All of a sudden I was anxiously awaiting my acceptance letter to UHM. Weeks and months passed and so did deadlines for letters of intent to other colleges. But one glorious day a few months before my graduation I got my acceptance letter to UH and my heart was set. It took not even a week for me to sign and return all necessary paperworks expressing my intent to attend the university. I did not think once about the other colleges I could be attending and the college experiences I was missing out on; I was as happy as can be. Four days after my sisters first birthday we packed up my things and took a 30 minute plan ride over to Oahu to move me into my freshman dorm and I could tell not only did I feel relieved and content to still be “home” and so close to the ones I loved, but so did my family.

Now three years later I could not have been happier with my decision. UH Manoa was the perfect choice for so many reasons. I got to be away from home (a plane ride even) without having to leave my state and the place I grew up. Oahu is so much different from Maui, but it’s still Hawaii and still familiar in many ways. I feel it has been a great stepping stone for “leaving the nest.” The most important reason of all though is that I am so close to home that I am able to fly home for long weekends, holidays like thanksgiving and easter, and I get to build the relationship with my tiny, no longer toothless best friend Mia. If I had moved far away I would not have developed the bond I have with her, and I would not have been able to maintain the close relationship I have with my family.

Although many island grown people may have different reasons for staying in Hawaii for college, this is mine and I could not have been happier with my choice.