I grew up in the suburbs of North Carolina where people never missed a game-day and tailgating beforehand with burgers and booze was a mandatory part of any weekend. Kids my age idolized the schools their parents went to and they couldn't wait to be a legacy in their mom's sorority, wear that Carolina blue and room with their high school BFFs.

My sophomore year of high school, my family and I moved away from the hometown pride that was our southern suburb to pursue a life in the Caribbean. I finished my last to years of high school in my new home that was the Cayman Islands and when it came to apply to colleges, I thought that going back to the Carolinas would make the college transition easier for me because I had lived there before.

(Pro tip- do not choose a college based on the fear of a rough transition or being reliant on the comfort of familiarity.)

When I was around 14 years old, I thought that UCLA was the school for me. I thought living in LA would be totally cool and I loved the merging of the mountains, city and beach that California had to offer. However, as I progressed in high school, I had to become more realistic. I had to really think about schools that I could excel at, afford, and of course, get into. This is where I crept back to the idea of going back to the south because it seemed the most practical.

Now this isn't meant to make people feel down about staying in their hometowns for college because I know a lot of people that chose to do that and are thriving at their schools. There's also other factors to be taken into consideration such as the absolutely insane tuition costs. This is about me throwing my self outside of my comfort zone, accepting the challenge, and finding my way through my new, unpredictable, exciting life that is college.

I ultimately went back to what my 14-year-old self wanted, which was to venture out west. While I didn't quite reach California, I am ecstatic with my choice to attend the University of Colorado Boulder. The last year was filled with meeting people from all over the country with the same urge to venture out of their home state and start somewhere fresh. I also had a completely random roommate selection, which was definitely scary, but I ended up meeting some amazing people through my residential hall that will be lifelong friends of mine.

If I could tell high school seniors one thing it would be to get out of your hometown and away from the people you've gone to school with since you were a kid. Your high school friends will always be there when you go home to visit, and catching up over your crazy college stories will be a blast. Take a risk with a random roommate- you could end up being best friends with them or like in my case, have some funny stories to tell your kids one day.

Getting out of my hometown gave my dad a new football team to root for, a new and beautiful place to show off to my friends and family when they come to visit, and most importantly, it proved to myself that there is beauty in change, hope in adventure and love in getting lost.

So, if you have the opportunity, I beg of you, GTFO! You'll meet new people, have unique experiences and build an individual journey that doesn't parallel your graduating class'. College is all about taking risks and being bold, and it all starts with where you choose to go.