I grew up in Mobile, Alabama. Home of Mardi Gras, Hangout Festival, the beaches the list goes on and on. I have spent my whole life there and it will always be home to me but once I graduate college I don't plan on coming back. When I have told people that I want to live in Charlotte, Boston, Tampa or Chicago it surprises many people. Why would you want to go anywhere besides Mobile? Why would you want to move away from your family? I always respond with "Mobile has been good to me but I want to see more and go outside of my comfort zone.". Many people do return to Mobile and maybe someday I would like to return to Mobile because it will always be home but I want somewhere I can create more opportunities for myself.

Whenever people ask me where I am from and I tell them they nod and continue on with the conversation. I have learned people know the city if they have heard of it before or know someone from that city. While Mobile is still one of the biggest cities in Alabama some people might not be as familiar with it the way everyone knows about New York City. Growing up at Ramah Darom many of my friends were from Georgia and Florida and throughout the year I didn't get to see them as much as I wanted. While they saw one another once a week or every once in a while I was lucky enough to see them maybe once or twice a year before camp. They always talked about the big city and how people loved to visit and that was one of the things that excited me.

We learn more about ourselves every day whether it has to do with the type of people we spend the most time with or our career choice many things actually change. I came into college wanting to study one thing and now I am studying something completely different. When I was younger I thought about coming back to Mobile and while that isn't something that I have completely abandoned I still want to live in other cities before returning home. I spent my whole life in Mobile, my college years in Tuscaloosa and one or two months over the summer in Clayton, GA. Change is a good thing and it will prepare me for my career and future.

There is sometimes an idea that if you return to your hometown you will never leave and while there are times that I might say this there isn't really a problem with it. If you can find a job anywhere then you're doing great even if it is somewhere that you might know very well. My hometown was always good to me and gave me some amazing memories but I want to see more of the United States even if it can be stressful.

It isn't easy leaving behind your hometown and there are sometimes I still miss Mobile but going out of your comfort zone helps you grow. Being able to leave Mobile has allowed me to grow and do things that were only imaginable after graduating high school. Mobile will always be my home and responsible for playing a part in who I am but it is also time to start looking at other places to live and see how that place can also impact me.