I was scared. I was so so scared of leaving the tiny town I grew up in. Eighteen years of memories, hundreds of days in the safety of a rural county, it was home and it was easy living.

But I got accepted into a major university.

A major university in a town that had more than two gas stations and a post office.

More than 20,000 students, brick buildings that all looked the same, and countless situations that caused confusion.

By the middle of my freshman year, I was ready to go back home. The lights of the city were too bright to see the stars and I didn't know a soul. The fact was, we had already paid for the year, so I had to stay.

And now, as a senior, I'm so glad I did.

If I'd never left my hometown...

I would never have found the career of my dreams.

I wouldn't have met so many amazing people.

Since being away from home, I found a home within myself. I found love for myself and friendships that will last a lifetime. I was exposed to new cultures, different backgrounds, exotic food, and countless challenges.

If I had never left home...

I couldn't have grown. There comes a time within your life when, if left without change, you become stagnant- you've reached the top tier of yourself within that environment. Without constantly opening yourself up to new situations and places and people, you can never truly reach your highest potential.

I'm no longer in the safety blanket that is my hometown, and I'm OK with that.

I still very much love the place I grew up. I still visit often, and I plan to return, but I will return with more cultural awareness, new views, and a strengthened sense of who I am as a person. I had to feel completely lost to find myself, and that's something I would've missed if I hadn't left my hometown.