I finished registering for scholarship auditions and this feeling settled uncomfortably on my shoulders: I am about to embark on the weirdest adventure of my life. I've lived in the same house, almost the same room, for my entire life. So naturally, I picked a college over 700 miles from my hometown. This Southern belle is taking Chicago head on. (Yes, I know it's cold; I'll get a good coat.) Of course, the real question is can I stand being practically alone from everyone I've ever known?

I can not begin to process what is about to happen. I am excited and terrified. I have learned, however, that the less you think about something this drastic, the easier it is to go through. This is against my programming. I am being forced to switch everything around in my head. I must think less, do more. I know once I'm settled into my dorm, I'll be fine. And thanks to the glorious internet, I can easily keep tabs on all my mischievous friends at home.

I've watched these people that I've known my entire life pick schools close to home, for various reasons and to be honest, leaving for a different state is refreshing, a needed escape. Perhaps, I can convince myself that I am fit for this adventure. I am leaving. Younger Me never had this dream to get away. Honestly, she never thought about the future much. It scared her too much. And now, I'm leaving my hometown for a new city, a new climate, a new chapter.