One week after graduating high school my parents told me they had made the decision to move me to Michigan and put me in a university there. I won't lie to you, I thought my life was over. For the past ten years, I had lived on an Island in southwest Florida. I had never lived farther than five minutes away from the beach.

I didn't know what it was like to experience winter. All of my friends were going to universities in Florida. I had never even toured Eastern Michigan University, and now I was supposed to move there.

Before entering college, I wasn't the type of person who always tried to put a positive spin on a bad situation. I remember my mom telling me over and over that this move to Michigan was for the best, and that the big change would be good for me. I was required to go to an orientation called Fast Track, before enrolling for classes.

I wasn't happy about having to go in the middle of my summer. But it only took ten minutes to make my first friend. We hung out for the rest of the summer, and it flew by. Before we knew it, September 1st had come around. So did our first college football game. I met one of my best friends, who is also my current roommate, at that football game.

From there on out, I was constantly meeting new people and creating the best memories ever. Throughout the course of my freshman year, I met a group of people that completely changed my life. They say you meet your "forever friends" in college and now I know why.

I also grew as an individual. Although I had the best group of friends a girl could ask for, going to college also teaches you to enjoy your own company. Some people go to college to pursue their passions, and others discover what their passions are. For a while, I was kind of stuck between those two. But college gifted me all this time to figure myself out.

I always knew I loved to write, but I was scared to pursue it. I took the time to explore my personality, my strengths, my weaknesses, everything that I could. I ended up changing from a nursing intent major to a journalism major, and I couldn't be happier about it.

Reflecting back on it, I'm not sure I would have given myself the same opportunity if I had stayed in Florida. I'll never know for sure, but I think all of the new changes being presented in my life because I went to a university out of state is what changed my mindset. I had this new perspective to seize opportunities and embrace change.

I thought freshman year would be the best year ever. But I'm in my sophomore year of college now. I joined the sorority, Delta Zeta. I met the most amazing girls from it and am so thankful for that opportunity. I'm in an exciting new relationship, and I can't wait to see what the rest of college has in store for me.

I'm embracing this new person I've become to not hold back, and I would recommend to any high schooler to try going out of state for college too. Florida will always have my heart, but Michigan sure is treating me well.