Leaving the place I had called home for my entire life to go to college in a new state where I knew nobody was the scariest thing I have ever done. I left everything and everyone I had ever known, including my family and the group of people I had been friends with since middle school. I knew that going away was going to allow me to grow as a person, but going home for the first time in three months for Spring Break showed me just how much being away from my hometown and being out of my comfort zone had taught me and changed me.

1. Home really is where the heart is.

I lived in the same place since the day I was born to the day I left for college, but now, when I talk about home, I mean Athens, my college town. When I'm in my hometown, I often find myself talking about going home, meaning going back to school. Athens is the place where I feel like I belong and where I feel like I can be the best version of myself, and it already feels more like home than where I was raised.

2. Time doesn't mean much.

When it comes to relationships, we tend to think of the people we've known the longest as the people we are closest to. I've learned that this isn't the case. Time and closeness are not synonymous. It is very possible to feel closer to people you've known for just a few months than people you've known for your entire life, and going home made me realize that's the case for many of my relationships. My friends from college, who I've known for just about half a year, know me better and support me more than some of the people I've known for many years.

3. Things change, and they change fast.

Only going home once every three months, suddenly new buildings and shopping malls pop up out of nowhere. The places you once loved no longer exist. You can't remember familiar paths or where things are. More than that, people change quickly. Change isn't bad, it's just different. People grow apart when you thought you'd be together forever, and sometimes this is for the best. Going home also makes you realize how much you've changed. Friendships fade, but the good memories will always be there.

4. You can't run away from your problems.

Despite popular belief, distance doesn't make your problems disappear. Your past is still your past, and will it still impact your present and future, no matter how far away you get. I've been accused of isolating myself as an escape, but the things I have done and that have been done to me are still a part of me. I still carry them with me. Being away has just allowed me to move forward and not constantly be reminded of the past.

5. Family time is the best time.

My family members are my best friends in the world, and being away from them for months at a time has only made me appreciate the time I am able to spend with them more. Even if this is just sitting on the couch watching Netflix or car rides to and from dinner, those moments are the most precious. You can call and text your family as much as you want, but nothing can beat laughing with them in person, hugging them, and seeing their face.