I'm the type of person who needs to see the world. For me, traveling means that I get to re-connect with the world around me. It reminds me that humanity isn't as cruel as one would think. Traveling gives me time to think and appreciate the world for what it truly is: beautiful yet completely imperfect.

My desire to travel meant that I was going to move away from my hometown, the moment I could. So when it was time to apply for college, that is exactly what I did. I did not apply to a single school within my state, or the surrounding metropolitan area. I was perfectly okay with leaving everyone and everything I loved for the thrill of something new. So I did.

What they don't tell us travel lovers is that; you can and will get homesick. All of a sudden you will remember that one time, with your friend who isn't with you and that one time is just a memory now. They don't tell you that sometimes being in an unfamiliar place, all alone, can be extremely intimidating. Above all, no one tells you that being homesick, is curable.

I was convinced that leaving home was the biggest mistake that I had made. What I quickly learned, was that I was completely wrong. When I returned home, I realized everything was the same, yet I was a completely different person. Everything at home was still the same way I left it just a few months prior. The only difference was, I no longer considered it home. I knew it then, that I had outgrown my hometown.

I had nothing left to gain from my hometown. There was nothing more to learn, nothing more to do and nothing more to see. My path of self-discovery was far beyond anything my hometown could provide for me, and I was beginning to become okay with that. I craved something far beyond the same routine that being at home could provide me.

Being homesick made me think that I needed to be at home. But what I really needed was comfort. I needed to become familiar and safe with my new surroundings and I needed to do it fast. What I realized was that it takes time. I spent 17 years of my life in one place. I thought that I was instantly going to fall in love with my new city so when that I didn't happen, I lost myself.

It took returning home to make me realize that it's okay to outgrow places. For the people who need to travel, there will be many times when you feel so homesick and so alone. But what you have to remember is why you made the decision to leave. For me, I know that traveling means a world of endless opportunities my hometown just couldn't provide. What I once thought was the biggest mistake has turned out the be the best thing I have ever done for myself. For those of us who love the thrill of traveling, maybe home is an airport, or a train, and that's okay.