When deciding on where to attend college, one of the biggest questions is: are you willing to be far away from everything at home? This was a huge issue for me when I was deciding a school. I didn't want to be too far away from home, but I also didn't want the ability to just go home for the day. Some people feel more comfortable being closer to home, which is completely fine. Sometimes people need that security blanket. Others, on the other hand, want to get as far away as possible the first second they get. I currently go to a college that is roughly 5 hours away from my hometown of Scranton, PA. When I chose this college, I didn't even really think about how far away it was; I just knew I was getting a quality education.

It turns out that I love being far away. I never thought I would, and the first week I thought I was going to transfer. I needed that extra push away from my family and my friends to really branch out. I had to do my own food shopping and had to do my own dishes (it's crazy... I know there is not a dishwasher on campus) and I had to force myself to do my own laundry (yes, mom wasn't there to make me). It's crazy how much I learned the first year that I was here, not even academics-wise. You start to learn the little tricks like how to remove super glue from your fingers, best way to remove stains, and best solutions for an upset stomach (mostly because college food is shit). If I didn't HAVE to know them, I definitely wouldn't have went out of my way to do that on my own.

Being away from home definitely made me appreciate the little things a lot more, too. You never realize how delicious a home-cooked meal is until you don't have one for an entire month. You also don't appreciate a good shower until you don't have to wear flip flops in the shower. I also cannot just call up my mom and ask her to take me to the mall just to people watch. I miss this more than I thought I ever would. Many of my friends can go home for the weekend and enjoy these small wonders.

While I am slightly jealous of this, I still wouldn't change any of this for the world. I know that if I ever needed some family lovin' I could always hang out with my friends' families until I get to see my own family. I do miss the little things I used to do with my family, but it makes coming home and spending time with them so much better.