Growing up in a small town where cows were more numerous than people, it seemed that everyone knew everyone. Everyone seemed to know you by your first name and would wave if you passed by. People would honk if they passed your home and bring your dog back if they found him wandering the streets a mile away. The air smelled new, fresh, like pine trees and fresh cut alfalfa. I could hear birds singing more often than cars passing by. Going out to the woods meant your own backyard and every star could be seen in the sky on a clear night. Your neighbors were a half-mile down the road and the sounds of sirens were so rare that you would have to turn on the news because you were curious as to what could possibly be happening. I grew up on a farm, in a small town. I was not prepared for the city life when I decided to leave, but I would not say that I regret my decision.

I am still not used to the life of living in a large city. People are busier. Traffic jams are an everyday occasion. Sirens are my new alarm clock. Squirrels are my new "cows," and I cannot help but realize I can no longer see the stars at night. The city lights are beautiful, the skyline is my new horizon, and the buildings are my new "woods." I've found perks of being in the city. I no longer have to travel 20 miles for groceries, gas, or the gym. I miss the smell of alfalfa, of pine trees, and wet leaves in the woods. This has all been replaced by industry and construction workers doing their jobs. I can count the number of people who know my first name on two hands, and how to spell it correctly on one. Life is so different. But I do not regret my decision.

You see, change is good. Change shows us what we do and do not want for our futures. It shows us that the world is so much bigger than we could ever comprehend. Change has brought so much positivity into the world that we must accept it with open arms. I may be a farm girl, I may have grown up where teachers took days off to go hunting on opening day, where people knew my biggest secret before I mentioned it to my best friend, or I would lift hay bales for my "workouts," but without moving to a large city, I would never have had the opportunity to meet my friends from Bangladesh, Taiwan, Hawaii, or even Malaysia. I wouldn't know how to play ultimate frisbee, I wouldn't have joined the Red Cross, or applied to volunteer at a children's hospital. I may not have had these opportunities if I hadn't opened myself up to it. I grew up in a small town, on a small farm where I knew nothing about living in a city, but I'm adjusting well. I believe if I can do it. Anyone can do it. Don't be afraid of change. Don't be afraid to try new things. And most importantly, don't be afraid to get out and see the world.