Just around the corner is the day when I will be leaving my home again to go and study many hours away from where my family is. Many questions pop in my head on days like these, and anxiety, both good and bad, rises. It's not necessarily something that happens when you leave for another different country, but leaving the city or state that saw yourself grow up gives a type of feeling. Leaving home is never as easy as it seems.

As the day for the departure is getting closer, expectation builds up and my head is full of ideas of what this new adventure will be. I start speculating “What will I do?” “How will I do it?” “Who will I meet?” “Will I like it?” and such, but always with an anticipation running through my body that I can’t deny. Odds are that I am going away because I chose too, and since it was my decision I will obviously want the experience to be as positive as possible.

Now, it is only a couple of days away from my flight/long drive to get to my new destination. Probably I already said goodbye to most people from home, and if not then I have planned every good-bye reunion that has to take place. Sad moments come, farewells happen and I have to face them with a brave face because I cannot afford to have people telling me that it will be better if I stay, because if I think about it one more time I am probably going to start believing it. It is better if everyone is as excited about this trip as I was a week ago.

It is the day I will be leaving, maybe the night right before, and I become a kid again. I do not want to leave my mum, my bed, my pets and grandma’s cooking behind for such a long time. In my head, it feels like I will never come back, even though I know it is only going to be a few months, and then I will be here again. I already packed everything, I have my tickets and people are expecting me and counting on me to go, I cannot let them down, I cannot do that. I chose this, and I will be successful because everything will be fine.

I am actually at the airport, even on the plane by now, and every worry I had is gone. The worst part already happened: tears may or may have not been shared, hugs have been given and I have walked through the gates to finally leave. If not, I am already on the highway or the interstate and on my way to what will be my new home, the car has gas, I have food and a plan, and everything will be alright. If I don’t feel like everything will be OK, by the time this ends, I will be so tired I will not have enough energy to be sad or anything like that.

I got here! This is it, the place I chose to be my home for the next few months, and I got here all by myself (or something like that, shout-out to my loved ones for the support). I meet the people I will be sharing most of my time with, I create routines with or without those people and by the time I realize it, it has already been a month and I am busier than ever. But most importantly, even though I probably miss home, I have found another one here. Leaving home is tough, but everything is alright.