I come from a town where most people who are born and raised there never leave – Howard County, Maryland – more specifically, the “city” of Columbia. It’s the picture-perfect image of suburbia. A planned community filled with mcmansions, neighborhood pools, and a mall that people literally travel hours to shop at. It always ranks in magazines and websites as one of the “top counties” to move to in the U.S., and I couldn’t agree with that statement more (despite some of the complaints I might make later in this article). I am so fortunate to have grown up in an environment where I felt safe and genuinely at home. There was never a problem biking down the street to my best friend’s house or walking to Rita’s for some soft-serve after school in the springtime, and I can’t imagine having grown up any other way. I will never forget how lucky I am to have experienced that kind of security throughout my childhood.

I had a great group of friends, most of whom I’ve known since kindergarten. We were nearly inseparable and spent almost all of our time outside of school together, whether it was through the county sports teams or going to concerts at Merriweather Post Pavilion every other week when school was out. And God forbid you didn’t participate in the summer swim league because everyone knew your social life would be seriously lacking if you didn’t – I mean, who doesn’t want to wake up at 7 a.m. every Saturday morning in to jump in a freezing cold pool and make your rival neighborhood “eat your bubbles”? You were given these friends based on your school districts and never really got to choose who you hung out with. You found your niche at a young age and that was that until you went away to college. Opportunities for expanding your friendship horizons were limited.

Numerically speaking in terms of the population, Columbia isn’t really a “small town,” but it definitely has that small town feel. Everyone knows everyone, but more importantly, everyone knows everyone’s business. I will swear up and down until the day I die that everyone is either related or has dated each other, and trust me, it’s even more confusing than it sounds. Good luck figuring out which. But, just to give you an example, my mom grew up in Howard County with her two younger brothers and ended up moving five minutes down the road from her parents’ house. She works in a dental office in the heart of Columbia and cleans the teeth of at least half my old teachers and friends. She even dated the vice-principal of my high school back when she attended high school with him (sorry to bring that one up, Mom, but it’s crucial evidence supporting my claim).

I kid you not when I say there is no escaping Howard County. Coming home from school always ends up as some sort of accidental reunion in the snack aisle at Target. Or awkwardly exchanging sweaty hugs with an old classmate at the gym. Or making painful eye contact with your ex-high school sweetheart at a red light. It never ends. I’m fully convinced Howard County is both nosy and connected enough to function without Facebook, yet still know nearly every detail of everyone’s life.

While I harbor this love-hate relationship with my “small town” hometown, I find myself wanting more. I’m thankful for Howard County for more than just giving me lifelong friends and an amazing childhood, but for also instilling in me the passion and desire to want something bigger. Not necessarily better, but definitely bigger. I never realized I had these feelings until my senior year of high school when I started applying to colleges. I applied to 11 schools – mostly huge, Southern state universities, with the exception of a couple. I knew I wanted something different, but I wasn’t sure just how different.

Ironically enough, I ended up attending the smallest school that I applied to – Salisbury University, nestled in the heart of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, with only about 10,000 students. Being from Howard County, I was a natural homebody. As much as I wanted that big-school experience, I prioritized staying close to my family first and foremost. Thankfully, I love everything about my school and wouldn’t change a thing.

I’ve managed to get the most out of my experience and have broadened my horizons in ways that I never could have imagined – from joining my sorority and having over 100 sisters to discovering exactly what I want to do with my degree post-grad. Something that Salisbury did for me was further reinforce the initial desire for something bigger that I found within myself while living in Howard County. I knew that after graduating and receiving my bachelor’s and master’s degrees that I would move. Not back home. Not even back to Maryland.

As I get closer and closer to graduating, I remind myself that it’s OK to feel this way. That I’m allowed to want more and not think of myself as selfish. Hell, maybe I do think of myself as selfish, but this is the time to be selfish – while I’m young, before I settle down with someone, and while I still have the passion and drive within me to do so. In order to do big things, you need to first have big dreams. Go big or go home – literally, in my case.

However, this isn’t to say that there’s shame in going back home. That’s OK, too. Personally I just feel as if I’ve exhausted my opportunities back home in terms of furthering my career and education. Do what makes you happy and don’t feel bad about it. Be proud of your decisions. Make your parents proud, but make yourself proud first. Always remember where you came from, but never lose sight of where you’re going, and remember that you’re never stuck or bound to where you used to roam.

As for me, I plan to move to D.C. or New York. New faces and opportunities are calling my name, and I’m so close I can almost taste it. I can’t wait to change the face of public relations and crisis management – maybe working for a Fortune 500 company, my own business, or even the president. Who knows? But, I’m ready. I’m ready to be more than a small town girl with big city dreams. I’m ready to be living the big-city reality.