Of my graduating class in high school, I was part of the small minority of kids that ventured far beyond the SEC for college. More still, I was one of two kids that went as far as California. Although it’s a bummer missing the occasional impromptu high school reunion downtown in Athens, Georgia, here’s a few reasons why I could not be happier with taking that gigantic leap.
1. I Encountered a Completely Different Vibe
Every college town has its own personality, but when going to school close to home, odds are your college days will feel very similar to high school. Putting yourself in a new environment opens the door to whole new perspectives you’ve yet to encounter. You learn to view things in a new light, expanding your mindset beyond that of the people you’ve been around since kindergarten.
2. I’ve Racked Up Those Frequent Flier Miles
The dozens of trans-continental flights I take going to-and-from school have added up to Silver Medallion status in my Delta SkyMiles Account. When I feel like taking an impromptu weekend trip to San Francisco or need a plane ticket to Spring Break in Cabo, those suckers come in handy.
3. (A bit SoCal specific but) Three Words: “ ‘Winter’ Beach Photos”
Every once in a while in January, I’ll head to the beach or tan on my palm tree-flanked front lawn of my sorority house. If the weather’s nice, I’ll post an Instagram or Snapchat story with the caption, “Winter? #80degrees,” and just wait. And let me tell you, without fail, one of my frostbitten friends will always comment back something like, “I hate you #sojealous.”
Am I obnoxious for enjoying that? Probably. Is it hilarious every time? Definitely.
4. I Have A Strange Connection With People Who Took the Same Leap
Since a good portion of my school is from the Los Angeles area, I tend to connect with those people who can’t drive home on the weekends either. Common conversations entail discussing the colleges that “all my high school friends go to” (for me UGA, GCSU, Georgia Tech, and Georgia Southern) and what it would be like if we had decided to go there too.
*Bonus* Whenever I meet anyone from the South, especially Atlanta, we become instant homies.
5. I Had the Chance to Reinvent Myself
Sure, it’s terrifying to willingly place yourself in a new city where no one knows your name. But on the other hand, it’s pretty exciting too. College is a time to find yourself, so it’s easier to do that when no one has a prior notion of who you were beforehand. You could go by your middle name, fix an aspect of yourself that you regretted not doing back home and put yourself out there without anyone knowing the difference. I’m not saying be something you’re not, but if you’re feeling that your current self isn’t who you want to be, going far for school is the perfect opportunity to seize your true self.
6. I Was Pushed Out of My Comfort Zone
Bouncing off the whole “knowing zero people” concept, I basically had to force myself to be an extrovert to make friends. I didn’t have the luxury of falling back on my high school friends when I felt lonely and insecure, and I’m better off because of it. Sometimes I wish I had the chance to experience going to UGA, where if you don’t know a person, you know someone that person knows as well. But on the other hand, the conversation is usually more interesting anyways when you’re not stuck talking with someone about some girl you both barely knew from middle school.
7. I Experienced Real Independence
Yeah, new-found independence is a standard of any college experience, but when you can’t run home every time college life isn’t ~perfect bliss~, you truly understand the responsibility of being an independent adult. It’s not always fun, but it is a fantastic life lesson to pick up early on.
8. As Soon As Driving to School Isn’t a Feasible Option, It Doesn’t Matter How Far Away You Are
If your college is a three-day road trip away from home like mine is, you understand what I’m getting at. As soon as you have to take a flight to wherever you’re going, physical distance doesn’t really matter. For me, it takes less time to fly home from USC then it took my sister to drive home from UVA. Sure, money is a factor because flights are expensive, but if you’re just afraid to go really far away from home for school, the fact is, the second you reach that five-hour mark for a car-ride from Atlanta, you’re pretty much closer to LA than you are Virginia.
9. I Appreciate More Those Who Matter Back Home
Let’s be real, being 2,300 miles away from home has been an amazing experience so far, but it hasn’t been a cakewalk. Homesickness happens to even those with the most ardent wanderlust, and it often puts one’s priorities into perspective. Having that much distance between my friends and family and myself has helped me realize who really matters to me back home. It makes me appreciate every night in my own bed, every slice of Carmine’s Pizza, every practice in my childhood dance studio, and every lunch date in Downtown Roswell during Christmas Break. And on the other hand, when I’m back in LA at the beginning of each semester, that time at home makes me appreciate all the opportunities I have that make going so far away worth it.
