Last year, I chose to make the biggest decision of my life. While my friends were discussing which colleges they'd apply to in Washington State, I had applied to North Carolina State University. When I had gotten my acceptance letter, I was thrilled but terrified of moving 3,000 miles away from my friends and everything I knew.

I had grown up in a relatively small town. It was a close tight-knit community, but it was also the same thing over and over again. Everything was always so normal and mundane, and I wanted to break the mold. I wanted to feel independent and experience freedom. In essence, I wanted to pave my own path.

There are always cons to every situation, especially moving across the country for college. There's the struggle of not being a local and having to explore the city by yourself. I can't lie, I miss my Washington friends during the school year since I can't visit them anytime I want. The three hour time difference doesn't help. My friends like to text me at midnight, which is actually 3 a.m. for me. Even though NC State University has 35,000 students, sometimes, I end up feeling quite lonely.

While there are negatives, there are also positives that outweigh the cons. I get to experience both coasts. I can get Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts. I get to visit Pike Place and the Space Needle while also visiting Biltmore Estate. I get to have amazing Seattle summers and wonderful East coast winters. I realize I'm actually pretty lucky. I get to experience twice the opportunities for everything from culture exposure to food to weather.

When I first moved to North Carolina, I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to find a home. But looking back, I wouldn't have changed my decision for everything. Instead of one home, I now have two.