The time for high schoolers to start applying for colleges is rapidly approaching, and for students thinking about transfering to start looking into schools.

I will say, most students will look into in-state schools, whether they are two hours from home, or right up the road. Other students may pick an out-of-state school that isn't too far from home. Although, most students pick colleges based on the wrong reasons. Some will look into colleges based on where their friends are going, some because of where their boyfriend/girlfriend is going, some because their parents are alumni of the school, some because of what they believe will looks best on paper, and so on and so forth.

When I began looking into schools I started with in-state, because that's what my family wanted for me, and what I thought I wanted for myself. I soon realized that it wasn't what I wanted. I wanted to get away from home, get out of town and step out of my comfort zone.

Low and behold, I began to look at The University of Southern Mississipp even when I had the choice to go to schools like Florida State, UF, or even go to UCF and work at Disney World like a lot of my friends. I just wanted something different, something new.

So guess what?I got in! Things worked out with scholarships, my family and so my journey began.

I didn't know what I'd gotten myself into. For the first time in my life, the beach was no where to be seen, I was far away from all of my family and friends, and, worst of all, there's no Publix! Though, I believe it was my decision to do this that helped me find myself.

A quote I recently discovered says it all, "Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes, in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself."

Here I was in the middle of nowhere, in south Mississippi, in a place I'd never been. Truth be told, I'd never even been to the state of Mississippi until I did my audition for the School of Music. Fast forward three years, and I can say I still have a little trouble finding my way around, but I do not regret my decision.

They say college is the time for self-discovery, finding out who you are, finding out what you like, changing your major; all that good stuff. I personally believe that it was my decision to step out of my comfort zone and to throw myself into the middle of nowhere that helped me find myself.

In my time here, I have made some of the greatest friendships of my life, discovered new music, traveled, seen new things, tried new food and joined a new church. So many new things have been introduced to my life, and I just learned to keep an open mind.

It was this act of getting lost, and trying to find the right path, that helped me find myself along the way.

I look back and I think about the choices I could have made for myself, and how my life could have been, and I still do not think I would change a thing. I have found myself, I now know who I am and I have an idea of what I want from life. Finding yourself can be hard, but sometimes in order to find yourself, you have to lose yourself.

I'm not saying I have it all figured out, I'm not saying I know where I'm going, but I like the direction I'm going in.

I got lost.

Of all the roads I could have taken, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.