Two years ago as a college freshman, I had many fears about moving away from home and into a bigger city. Coming from a town with no stop lights, two schools, two gas stations, a tiny family market the size of my one bedroom apartment, and a single recently added Dollar General, I was in for quite a shock when I started school approximately two and a half hours away from home. Not only were there a lot more people, but everything else seemed so much bigger in scale. These are the pros and cons of moving away from life in a rural town, as told by "Daria."

When you realize how thin dorm room/ apartment walls are.

When there are just too many people in one place.

When you're anxious that your "outsider" mannerisms are painfully obvious.

Making new friends.

When there is no privacy so you have to improvise your own.

Walking to class and hearing police sirens causes no urgency whatsoever now. Even if there's a possibility someone got hurt.

Not being able to sit outside and quietly enjoy scenery.

When you realize how many options there are for shopping and eating out and you don't even have to drive at least twenty minutes to the next town over to reach most of them.

Getting excited at every new venue as it slowly becomes a favorite hangout.

Meeting a friend that is just as used to having few places to be outside of work and school.

When people ask where you are from and you know they have probably never heard of your hometown.

Getting lost...

Really getting lost...

When you start to miss home and wide open spaces.

But knowing in the end that you will always find your way back.