So, I am a Stage 5 clinger. I have my people and those are my people. I love meeting new friends and creating new relationships but I will almost always prioritize those that I am already comfortable with. I find it incredibly hard to create and pursue relationships that go farther than surface level. So forcing myself extremely out of my comfort zone is what I needed to do.

I am from the Triangle Area in North Carolina which is made up of Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Duke. These cities are home to some amazing schools, NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Puke, or I'm sorry, Duke.

Since we were near such great schools naturally most of my friends went to these schools. Meanwhile, I think only three or four of us went out of state for school. These are amazing schools and incredibly hard to get into so I am incredibly proud of them for attending these universities and am in no way knocking them for staying here.

I'm just saying, driving eight hours away and putting myself in a new environment was what was best for me.

Since they all go to school together, and some of them are even roommates, they are together often and didn't really have to go through that awkward first couple weeks of school where you don't know anyone to the extent that I did. I remember crying to my mom on the way to the airport that they all had each other but I know now that I have my amazing group of friends at my school now too.

I know if I hadn't moved so far away from them I don't think I would have the very best friends I have today. I would have clung to them like a dryer sheet to clean clothes and would not have branched out to the lengths I have now.

Now since I live so far away and don't get to see them as often as they get to see each other it makes coming home so much sweeter. The miles apart during the year make the feet apart seem so much closer.