1. The City is Weird (for me at least)

Torrington was by no means a diverse metropolis of the Midwest, and LA is quite the opposite. Seeing people of all races, colors, religions, genders, and sexualities all living together in peace and harmony is so refreshing for me. Wyoming is not known for its progressive social values whereas LA is monumentally more left leaning than my good ole home. Being here is such a change for me that I've looked forward to my whole life.

In some ways, however, I miss home. I miss not having to lock my car when I park it on the street. I miss not going to the coffee shop across town and seeing at least a dozen familiar faces. I miss parking and not having my car towed because I misread the parking signs. I miss a lot about Wyoming. Would I go back? Hah. Funny.

2. Public Transit

Obviously quite a change from Wyo. Back home the only difficulty in transit were muddy roads and the occasional cow herd crossing mainstreet in town. Los Angeles is pretty notorious for having bad traffic, personally I don't think it's that bad. I can definitely see the drawbacks--learning to drive both defensively and aggressively at the same time is hard, but it's honestly really fun.

Also, having a public transit system is pretty useful. Paying for an Uber to go to the beach gets expensive, but the metro is so much cheaper, and it's always a fun experience. Just be mindful of your fellow passengers and be prepared to sit in close quarters with people who don't always smell amazing and can sometimes be a little weird. To be frank, however, the benefits far outweigh the costs.

3. There are Plenty of People to Meet

Obviously there are more options for people when you're surrounded by millions instead of just a few groups that you've been with your entire life. In Torrington, I knew everyone and everyone knew me. I'd known people since the day I was born and to be quite honest, it was exhausting sometimes. I love them all to death, but everyone grows out of the relationships and friendships they had when they were younger. It is hard to swallow this massive pill, but sometimes, it's the best thing you can do for your own mental and emotional health.

In Los Angeles, or anywhere that has new and fresh people to experience, you have many more diverse groups to become close to and thrive alongside. I have made so many wonderful, driven, intelligent, and admirable people that I found a hard time finding back home. Now I have the cream of the crop, in my opinion at least. I'm not biased (or I try not to be). You don't truly learn who you are until you jump into a new and scary situation with a bunch of strangers.

Also not to mention the dating scene is pretty poppin' here.

4. INDEPENDENCE

This one is pretty self explanatory. Again, jumping into a new city, thousands of miles away from home, and flailing around until you find your feet is the best way to grow into who you were meant to be. I have enjoyed every second that I've been away from home, and I know many feel the same. Moments pass where I wish I could give my best friend a hug, or give my mom a kiss on the cheek, or ask my dad for advice. Not to mention how much I miss my brother. Being alone is the best way to figure out what you want and life and who you want to include in your journey.

From a small Wyomingite in the big city, I can't recommend leaving home and going to college as far away as you can, enough. Even if it's not for school, if you're just following your passions, just do it. So many people told me that I wouldn't make it or that I'd be wishing I'd stayed closer to home, but I would just like to say right now to all of those people: You're wrong, and I'm going to keep proving that to you everyday.