I must be crazy to move away from one of the largest cultural hubs in America, but here we are. For a long time I had never even considered leaving California, but now that I'm older I realize how much I'm missing out by sticking to my comfort zone. As much as I love it here, it's ultimately time to say goodbye.

Despite me talking about new horizons and everything, I feel like I haven't experienced nearly enough of the Golden State. I think I've only been to downtown LA a handful of times in my nineteen years here and my only trip to Hollywood is mostly a distant memory from my childhood.

Northern California is a different story entirely; the only place I can remember going to is San Francisco, and even then I barely scratched the surface of attractions. Now that my departure is so close I regret procrastinating on all the little potential adventures I could have had.

Still, even as I sulk about not doing enough during my time here I don't necessarily feel like my days here have been wasted. Living in California naturally exposes you to pretty much every type of person you can think of, and as a result of that nobody here completely fits into a single stereotype.

Instead, Californians tend to adopt certain qualities from their peers that they find fascinating and incorporate it into their overall self, leading to hardcore gamers dabbling in photography or computer science majors bumping trap music in their cars. These concepts may sound obvious as an adult, but growing up as a shy, impressionable kid I spent a lot of time online, so having such a diverse community helped me distinguish reality from the caricatures you see on the internet.

So after all these regrets over not going out more and praises about our diversity, why would I ever dream of leaving a place I consider home? Well, like all homes, the fondest memories tend to take place outside of them. In junior year I took a trip to New York with around forty of my classmates, which led to one of the best weeks of my life.

For one, I was able to experience snow in the streets unlike in California where you need to visit Big Bear. More importantly, however, I felt like I was a different person in New York; I talked to strangers more often and I was actually able to hold conversations with others. As strange as it sounds, being somewhere new essentially turned me into a blank canvas; I could become whoever I wanted to be.

Perhaps I just want a fresh start in Minneapolis. Maybe I'll find that I enjoy a more low-key environment. Or I could be making a mistake and life in California really is the best. Either way, I won't know if I stay put where I've always been. Thank you California, I'll make sure to come back as a better person.