Growing up, I always thought I would stay close to home throughout my college years. I was always a homebody during middle school and high school so I expected the same going into college. My senior year, I submitted 12 applications and only 2 were out-of-state.

I felt like there was a weight on my shoulders telling me that there was more for me to experience than just the town I grew up in. I made the biggest decision of my life to attend the University of Alabama. Being exactly 1,101 miles from home scared me more than anything else.

Being from New England, the south was a huge change but I LOVED experiencing a new culture. I met people from all over the country. None of my best friends were from the same place; Oregon, California, Florida, and Texas. With all of these good things also came really hard times. I missed home A LOT.

I would constantly question why I decided to go so far from the place I loved. It wasn't until I came home for Thanksgiving when I realized the most important lesson I've learned thus far in my life...

I needed to leave my comfort zone and learn what I was capable of.

A whole new world opened up when I realized I could be on my own in an unfamiliar place. Leaving familiarity is definitely a challenge but the rewards are worth it.

Moving away from home made me appreciate it more and with a new perspective.

At the end of my freshman year, I decided to transfer schools to a more rigorous program at Syracuse University. I am very lucky that I got not one, but two different college experiences that each helped me grow into the woman I am today.