When you think of summer, it is a time of warm, fun, and friends. There is no worrying about school and other responsibilities. This may be true for some people, but for me, summer in college is all about finding opportunities to prepare me for my future career.

For some people, going home for the summer is what is best for them. Many of my friends go home for summer and some even find internships to do while at home. Other people are like me, and going home for a summer would set them back, not advance them.

Going home for the summer has never been an option for me.

I love my hometown, and I will always be thankful for the opportunities I have had there because they were the building blocks for my future. But I have exhausted my resources back home, and there is nothing there for me anymore.

The world is large. Why would I limit myself to one town? There are endless opportunities out there, and I have to find them. I am young. I want to travel and spend time in new places while I can.

I do not come home because it is a place of the past for me. It is not because I do not want to spend time with everybody from home. I am grateful for the people back home and their continuous support as I try to find my place in this great big world.

When I think about home, I think about all the great memories I have had. I have met amazing people and made fantastic connections. I have learned textbook knowledge and life skills. I have gained an understanding of the way society expects me to behave. Most importantly, as cliche as it sounds, my hometown has taught me to aim for the moon and land among stars.

My hometown built me up from nothing. It gave me the steps to find a passion and a way to pursue it. Without those places along the way, I would be on a different life path. This path has continued beyond my hometown. I have to follow it and see where it takes me.