During my search for colleges to transfer to at the end of my two years at community college, it was really important to me that I stayed close to home. My first two years of college were spent really close to home (since home is where I resided during my completion of general education credits), but I was ready for my next adventure further away from comfort zone.

I chose the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire because it was the perfect distance from home. The drive is only one hour and forty-five minutes which means I'm not close enough to be within beckoning call, but I'm close enough to be able to visit home on weekends when I feel like it. It's far enough away to be considered "away for college," but not far enough so that I feel isolated. Really, it's the perfect balance.

Like most young adults that leave for college, I've always been eager to go live my own life. On the contrary, I haven't always been certain about where this 'own life' of mine would be lived. New York, maybe? Somewhere warmer like California? Or perhaps somewhere in the middle, in my Midwestern comfort zone. College would be the perfect opportunity to see where I fit in. However, I didn't look very far. When the time came, I did my research, and I realized that I had no interest in going far away for school.

When it came down to it, it became clear to me that the only schools I was looking at were ones that were relatively close to where I lived. Despite the appeal of schools that were further away, my heart was set on those of which I would still be able to see my family on the weekend if I desired.

I know college is painted as this "magical time" where we're supposed try new things and explore, and that sometimes going to school close to home is seen as "weak," but I'm not ashamed of my decision. Some people want to live far away from their homes and some people want to live close to theirs. Eau Claire was unfamiliar grounds for me, so I did see it as an adventure despite it not being a substantial distance from my hometown.

Overall, the biggest reason I'm glad I stayed close to home for college is because I still feel like I'm home even when I'm at school. Home is never too far away. Family means a lot to me, and to be able to visit them on any given weekend is amazing. I'm not sure I'd be very happy if I had chosen a school that wasn't close to home. I think college has shown me that when I'm finished with school, I will want to stay in the area. And for me, that is okay. Maybe one day I will want to move on to bigger places, but right now, I'm moving at my own pace.

Even though my school is not two states away, I still feel like this was a big step in my life. I'm exploring the world one small step at a time. I know that one day I'll have to take big steps, and that's okay with me, but for now, I'm just glad that I'm doing what's best for me.