My little sister is about to be faced with one of the biggest decisions she will make: what college to attend. While home for Easter, I started thinking about my own decision and why I am sure it was the right one. Knoxville is a college town, and it would have been easy for me to have gone to the University of Tennessee with all of my friends from high school (and big brother). But I chose to try something new and move 5 hours away to Auburn, Alabama, a small town that I had only visited once before. I'm so glad I decided to go away from home for college, and here are a few reasons why.
1. I have two homes. While technically, Knoxville is still my hometown, the community and friends that I have in Auburn have made it feel just as close to a home as Knoxville is. Obviously, I still miss my family and friends in Knoxville, but after almost 2 full semesters in Auburn I can confidently say that I have found a new family and community.
2. I have double the friends! I have loved the process of getting to know new people at Auburn, while still having the security in knowing that my friends in Knoxville won't forget me or love me any less. This year has basically been a constant parade of new people in my life, and I absolutely love it. I'm so grateful for all of the relationships that college has provided me. Plus, I have like 100 new snapchat friends so that's an extra bonus.
3. I've learned how to be independent. Moving 5 hours away from everything I have ever known catapulted me into responsibility and what feels like adulthood. I have to buy my own groceries, do my own laundry, and manage my own time. I found a church home, learned to manage my money responsibly, and overall became a more confident person. College, no matter where you go, will grow you up, but not having my parents right down the road has presented challenges that I feel made me a stronger, more independent person.
4. I have better relationships with my parents and siblings. When you only see your family once every few months, you really grow to appreciate the support and love that they give you. I have amazing parents, three sisters, and two brothers. All seven of them live in Knoxville, and being away has been the hard but unexpectedly rewarding. My conversations with them are deeper, and I value time with them more than I ever have before. I am a better and more attentive big sister when I am in town, because I know that every moment with my 4 younger siblings is an opportunity to impact their lives in big ways. My parents treat me like an adult, and my relationship with them is so much more fruitful than it ever was before.
I know that going away for school is not an option for everyone, and that staying home is sometimes the best. For me personally, however, the things that I learned by simply taking a leap of faith and moving away, have made me into a stronger, more independent person, and I wouldn't trade that for anything.
