I always pictured that when I left for college I would be waving to my friends and family through the rolled down window of my van. Pulling away from my house with my parents in the car, we would have a small trailer hitched to the back so we would have plenty of room inside the car. However this scenario was too good to be true and it failed before we even left my house.

Moving from one end of the US to another was one of the weirdest things I've ever done. It was scary and exciting and wonderful all at once. I lived in the Dallas area in Texas and was moving to the University of Evansville to study Theatre Management there. I'm a planner and I like to know exactly what's going to happen and when. So when everything that I thought was going to happen, did not happen, I took it as best as I could.

As the weeks and days were beginning to diminish, I began packing and purchasing last minute items that I needed before I left. I had been talking to a wonderful girl, who was soon going to be my roommate, for many months and we were both very excited about our future at UE. Unfortunately plans we made and destroyed and with only two weeks until school, my "soon to be roommate" became my "almost roommate". Don't get me wrong, I was upset at first because this girl that I got super close to was no longer going to the same school as me, but I know that the new school she is attending is where she belongs. We still speak and I'm excited to keep her as a friend, but as time ran away from me I became more and more focused on moving.

My mom told me that not only were all 3 siblings traveling with us to Indiana, my aunt and grandma were going as well. Of course I was happy that they were coming along but my vision of waving goodbye to my family was reversed on me. Because our numbers kept growing, we had to add another car and therefore we decided to just pack all of my boxes into one car and pack all the suitcases in another.

With a week left before I left, packing was almost completed. I had finished working and was saying my last goodbyes to friends and family. Honestly I was sad to leave my family behind, but I was beyond ready to leave. The days came and went and before I knew it I had one day left. I left the hardest goodbyes for that day. I didn't expect to cry because I was more excited than upset but when I had to hug my sweet sweet friends goodbye, it was much harder than I expected.

The day came when we woke up at 4am to travel all day. I won't bore you with the logistics, but it might be worth mentioning that one of our cars ended up breaking down only 5 hours into the trip. Luckily we were very close to family that were so very kind to let us use their car to make the rest of the trip. Of course my anxiety rose ten thousand percent but I couldn't control anything so I sat back until we could leave.

After we moved everything from one car to another, we hit the road again. Hours and hours passed until we made it to Evansville and honestly all I wanted to do was sleep so I could get up early the next day.

When my alarm went off the next morning I didn't feel some weird pressure or nervousness, I just wanted to move in; to see the campus again, and to meet my classmates. My mom was excited for me as I packed and got ready to move in. Upon reaching the school, my nerves began to kick in. We parked and found my dorm room, sweating while doing so because the dorm I live in doesn't have air conditioning. This seemed like the worst thing ever while we were unpacking my room. I take that back. No air conditioning with eight people in one room was the worst thing ever. Nevertheless, I wouldn't change it one bit. My dad and brother helped set up my TV while my mom and aunt helped fix my bed. My siblings ran up and down the stairs with my grandma to run errands and although it was overwhelming, I will never forget watching my family all work together to make this strange room into my home for the next year.

Taking a break, we went to lunch and returned. I showed them around my beautiful campus and even the dark theatre that I basically live at because I'm always there. Although I could tell my siblings were beginning to tire and my dad's knee began to ache, my family continued to support me and be interested in my new life. The time came when they had to leave and surprisingly no tears were shed, instead we had a big photoshoot basically, hugging and laughing together. And I am so grateful for that. Now when I miss my family and I think back to the last time I saw them and it's a happy memory, not ones with tears.

Now two weeks into college I am attending classes I like with friends that I adore. Looking back on the crazy trip that was moving to Indiana, I'm glad my family came with me. The warm feeling I get thinking about my amazing support system both at home and in Evansville makes the stress of the small moments on the way worth it.

I wouldn't trade my family for the world.