Have you ever had a dream? Of course, you have everyone has a dream for themselves, even if it's a small one. Growing up we had them all the time. Remember when you wanted to be a princess or an actor on the big screen? Whether you wanted to be one of these, you wanted to be something that grown-ups' thought was "unrealistic". And now that we are older, we still get told that our dreams are "unrealistic" and are not capable to do. Well, I am here to tell you that anything you want to accomplish, go and do it because you don't want to look back on your years and notice all the things you "wish" you would have been able to accomplish.

I know that this might seem crazy to be telling you, but it's not. As a nineteen-year-old and sophomore in college, I know the struggle of wanting something to be my dream, and some factors are put in my way. The summer after my senior year of high school I decided that I did not want to stay in my small town and go to college with the kids I went to high school with, but there was a problem, my parents did not want me to go off. There was the issue of it being more expensive, so you know what I did, I contacted the financial aid office and made sure how much I would be receiving along with any available loans. Now, I know the word loans make a lot of people have a small heart attack, but you have to think of your future and as long as you know that you can pay back loans, then go for it. That was a big thing for me, the loans, but after some talking, I had my parents convinced. My point is that I saw my dream at Missouri State University and even though it felt so close, but man did it feel so far away from me.

Now, you want to know the best part of that situation. I am currently writing this article at my job at Missouri State University. I did not give up a dream that I had, even when I was so drained about it. There were a lot of tears that were shed because I wasn't going to be able to fulfill my potential. Now, some people love the idea and can survive in their hometown and that's okay too, but if you even have the slightest thought that you want to see something new, then I suggest doing research looking into that new place you want to go to.

This article wasn't meant for just college students, but this was one of my biggest dream battles that I had, and I wanted this as an inspiration for anyone needing it. Looking back at my time that I have had at MSU in the last 1 ½ years I think of all the things I would have missed that I accomplished here. From making wonderful friends, joining a sorority (which I never would have thought I would have joined), to writing articles for The Odyssey, and leading me to add Journalism as a second minor. I would never have done these if I were to stay back home because 1. There would not be these opportunities and 2. I would have been scared to because I was "comfortable" and not forced to try new things.

Whether an eighteen-year-old needing encouragement to choose your future or a thirty-year-old needing a change in scenery, I want you to know that the only one to wish they would have gone for it is you. Not the ones holding you back from your full potential, so as I say "ask for forgiveness, rather than for permission" because there is always going to be someone to tell you no, or that it won't work. Don't prove them wrong, prove yourself right because you know your worth.