Driving around the same streets, shopping at the same shops and seeing the same faces in town can be comforting, but comfort doesn't challenge the mind.

I, just like every other graduating high school student had a choice post-graduation where to further my education. I watched a lot of my friends cling to the idea of staying close to home and to each other, and as much as this sounded like a lovely idea, it seemed too easy.

As much as I loved my small town with less than 4,000 people, I knew there had to be more out there and I was determined to find and experience it.

My entire life I have been a Jersey girl and knew nothing else, but I decided to go to school in South Carolina where I did not know a soul and wasn't familiar with the way of life. Instead of backroads, there were major highways, everyone spoke differently than me, said Y'all, looked at me funny when I asked for a Taylor Ham Egg and Cheese, and if you didn't say yes ma'am or no ma'am in a work environment, you were automatically seen as disrespectful. I'm not rude I'm just from Jersey!!

Everything I ever knew was ripped out from under me, and I had to learn how to build a life in an unfamiliar state.

At times it was scary and I regretted my bold decision. Living on my own for the first time, so many miles away from home taught me so much about myself. I had to learn how to manage my time, and failure was a part of the learning process. When there is nobody to tell you how to manage the hours in your day, remind you to relax, to do the laundry, or clean your room, the first few weeks can feel like a disaster.

These simple parts of life don't feel things you would need to be reminded of, but when your entire life is flipped upside down, you would be surprised.I remember calling my mom in a panic asking her how to work the washing machine, convinced I would never figure out such a simple task.

Nothing sums of my first year of college more than this..."Adulthood is like losing your mom in the grocery store for the rest of your life"... Yikes. If you were ever a freshman in college you can relate.

Over the years, through all of the struggle and self-growth, I have become someone I would never have imagined I would have turned out to be and couldn't be prouder of myself because I challenged and believed in my decision to move away from my home, my comfortability.

Being away from my home and my family forced me to do a lot of soul-searching and gave me enough time to figure out who I am and what my goals are. Placing yourself in an uncomfortable situation and challenging yourself to defeat it, teaches you a lot about what you truly are capable of.

It is important to see how others live, experience new cultures and lifestyles and open your eyes to the beauty of the world. If you stay in one place your entire life, you may think you know your likes and your dislikes but have you ever really experienced anything else? Life is about learning and growing every day.

There is not a day that goes by that I do not miss my family and wish I could be at all of the family events, birthday parties and holidays, but being away from them forced me to grow up accept that being an adult comes with independence and doing things on your own.

Being away from your home makes you appreciate the little things that we all once took for granted. As much freedom and growth, that being away from your hometown teaches you, being away will only draw you closer to home and your roots.

Distance really does make the heart grow stronger, don't be afraid of the journey.