I've been reading a lot of articles lately from people who believe going to college out-of-state completely changed their perspective. And don't get me wrong, traveling and new experiences are amazing.

But another thing that’s amazing? Growing and finding a new home so close to your own.

How far it is away from home should not be the main deciding factor in a decision as large as what college you go to.

Sometimes complicated questions like where should I go to college have simple solutions, and for me, that answer was the college less than 30 minutes away.

I am from suburbia, Lewis Center, maybe a 20-minute drive from Columbus, Ohio and Ohio State University. As someone who was in the “Buckeye bubble,” as I call it, I would never think I’d want to go to a school answering “IO” with every “OH.” I never thought I’d go to a college with so many people from my high school. At the same time, I am not the girl who wanted to go out of state, who needed to “escape” Ohio.

For so many reasons I am so thankful I go to a college close to home. Large colleges like Ohio State can take you anywhere. It’s not always geographic differences that define us; it is experiences and cultures. With large colleges, and I’m sure colleges everywhere, exposure to new things is more important than where you are. If your local college embraces that, great. I think that finding a place that not only expands your horizons but also allows you to feel supported is so much more important than how many states you can cross off your travel list.

Overwhelmingly, the best part of being local is I can go home whenever I want. Sickness and life happen. Having a support system to help you deal with those problems is amazing and something I try not to take for granted.

College and other large decisions are often made with only us on our minds. And I get that. I mean, it is our lives and freedoms that are changing the most when we go to college. But at the same time, factoring our parents in and having the availability to go home without a hassle or annoyance for my parents made this decision one I’m very proud of. Whenever I’m sick, I could go home if I wanted to. It really is a blessing, not a curse, to be so close to home.