When leaving home for the first time it's probably the most exciting as well as nerve racking feeling that you'll ever experience. Almost two years ago I was in that position about to leave my home, friends, and family for something that would truly change the course of my life. I was beyond scared and had no idea that I would be walking into something that not one person could predict. I would be walking into multiple life lessons that would shape me into the person I am today, and countless amounts of struggles that would make me want to leave at some points. The importance of growing up is taking what you've learned every single year and implementing it into your present and your future, so you're able to learn from those experiences. That's probably the most valuable piece of information that i've learned throughout these first years in college as no one can tell you how to live out your experience and what to expect.

It was weird and a little bit scary having a roommate that didn't like me for any apparent reason along with being in a new place with an entirely new crowd. This was my first challenge in a place that would soon become my favorite spot in the world and one that I would miss dearly when away. Once I confronted that obstacle and left that room, I met another roommate that made the rest of my freshman year one worth remembering. It's interesting that an experience as minor as having a bad roommate could actually change your overall feeling on a University. The rest of my year was amazing but there were still things that I hadn't dealt with from high school which was an ongoing issue throughout the year. As I was definitely progressing on a daily basis at school there were still little things that would hold me back which would only change positively due to the amazing people that I surrounded myself with.

After having a life-changing freshman year, leaving for the summer was something that I knew would definitely be upsetting because of the truly amazing people I had to leave behind for a few months. While experiencing the summer of my freshman year, I began to miss each person even more and look forward to seeing them in the fall. While these ties have been extremely strong, my home ties began to become stronger as well and it was even more difficult to leave my best friends in my hometown. They all were going through the same things as I was, leaving your best friends to go find your other one's once again for the second year in a row.

As the day approached to go back I was nervous again but content with the people in my life, yet beyond excited to meet the people that would change it. These people made me look at things differently and enjoy the little aspects of college a bit more than an average person would. The midnight trips to get food or even the nights we went out and came back barely remembering anything made it all worth it in the end. You're in a different space with so many people that you would have never even expected to love and spend every minute with which is so amazing. You're always going to remember leaving home, whether it's your first, second, third…, make sure to thank every person that made your days a little bit more exciting and worth waking up for.