I'm originally from Gloucester, Massachusetts. For people who don't know, Gloucester is on the New England coastline roughly 36 miles away from Boston. Today, tourists from all over the world come to visit for the history, the seafood, the wonderful beaches, or its famous art colony.

As beautiful as this all sounds, I constantly daydreamed about going far away. I craved warm weather and something new; a place where I didn't know anybody and I could get lost, a place that could overwhelm me by how different everything was. I spent my entire junior and senior year dreaming about what it would be like to live in one of my favorite cities I've been: Las Vegas. So, naturally, I applied to a school out in Las Vegas. I was more anxious and excited than I had ever been before, but I also felt a lot of pressure. I felt like my whole life was depending on whether or not I got out of Massachusetts.

In the end, I ended up getting accepted into the school I wanted to go to. After this, I thought the hard part was over. I knew where I was going to college, and it was in Las Vegas, one of the cities I had always wanted to live in. What else was there?

As it turns out, it's not that easy to uproot your life and move almost 3,000 miles away from everything you know. It's almost like you're living in a different world. There are things I love about it, things I never saw coming, and things I truly miss back home. But as I am starting my third month of living on the opposite side of the country as the rest of my family, there are a few things I think everyone should know before deciding to move cross-country for college.

1. You will be more overwhelmed than you ever expected.

There are tons of simple comforts we forget to acknowledge every day, like knowing where the store is or the little conversations you have with your mom around the house. When all of that is suddenly pulled out from under you, while you're facing this completely new stage of your life all on your own, there are going to be moments where you feel like you made the wrong decision about moving. Not only is this new situation absolutely terrifying, but it's ,sadly, impossible for you to drive home and see your family for a quick visit like all of your friends can. You're also in a different time zone than everyone and everything you know. However, it's okay to give yourself a minute, an hour, or even an entire day sometimes, to give into the fear you are feeling and let yourself cry. The stress is intimidating, but it's also temporary.

2. You will miss your people.

One of the weirdest parts of being in a different time zone is that my friends aren't in it with me. To stay close with your friends you have to put in effort. You have to make sure you text, call, FaceTime, and do everything you can to stay in touch. You will miss seeing them face to face and it will be hard, but something is better than nothing. What's even crazier is that it will seem like everyone around you has their friends nearby. There's an adjustment to make, but you will see them at Christmas time.

3. Things back home are going to change...

...and it's going to be really hard to miss all of it. I already feel like I've missed a lifetime. Every time I call, there seems to be a new, drastic update about something. There's always going to be that nagging fear that I'm going to come home to a whole new world, but the reality is that I will have changed just as much. Things balance out.

4. Saying goodbye is the absolute hardest

It just is. It doesn't matter that you're going to see them in a couple of months. It is still going to be completely awful having to say goodbye to all your family and friends, especially knowing how far away from them you'll be.

It was always my plan to leave Gloucester for college. I craved a change of scenery for as long as I can remember. But the thing is, I wasn't really prepared for how different things would be once I left. However, through all the stress and emotion that I have been through in the two months that I have been in Las Vegas, I know I made the right choice. Yes, I miss Massachusetts more than I ever thought was possible, but I am happyhere. There aren't a lot of times we are given the opportunity in life to just pack up and leave, and there is just so much to gain from this kind of experience that it seems like such a waste to let those moments just pass by without giving them a chance.