“Adventure is out there,” and if you don’t make yourself go and look for it, you might never find it. I lived in the same lower half of a state for 17 years of my life: California. Southern California is an amazing place to grow up, don’t get me wrong, but ever since I was little, I wanted to explore. Growing up, my family always took fun vacations to different parts of the country, and even the world, and I always enjoyed meeting new people, seeing new cultures and experiencing different weather. Travel is the only money spent that will make you richer. If you are thinking of attending a school nowhere near home, I advise you to take the chance and at least apply. There are so many reasons to:
1. Independence and freedom.
One thing that high-school me wanted most was freedom. Growing up, I pretty much had all the freedom I could have, but I wanted to see if I could actually take care of myself wholly. This can easily be done by moving only two hours away from home, or even a half hour, but I needed (or thought I needed) more space. I have always been an independent person, so this wasn’t too hard for me, but some people really struggle.
Tip: Calling your parents and asking for help with laundry or job applications will never upset them, only make them happier, because they don’t feel completely useless being so far away.
2. New people.
Being surrounded by the same type of people all your life can become mundane. Wherever you travel, you are guaranteed to meet all different types of people. Where I go to college is the exact opposite of where I grew up in terms of the people. It’s refreshing to see different views and ways of life up close, because you can actually understand why people do what they do. Even if you don’t understand, you now confidently can say so and why.
Tip: You will always meet people like you no matter where you go because college students come from all around the country and even world, so don't let that worry hold you back.
3. Different weather.
If you grew up in hot weather all your life, do you really know what cold is? For us SoCals, 60 degrees is cold, but now that I’m in Washington, 60 degrees can easily be shorts weather. How do you know where you belong if you never leave your comfort zone? What if you were made for arctic weather, but you never knew because you never experienced that cold of weather? I thought I would hate the rain and cold, but it actually hasn’t been that bad, and once spring rolls around, all that rain will be worth the amazing beauty that blossoms.
Tip: When your mom says bring all the jackets you own, bring all the jackets you own.
4. Exploring.
The world is huge -- might as well start to explore it now! Going to a different state can teach you so many things about different cultures, geography, climate zones, traditions and much more. For example, leaving California made me realize that almost every state that doesn't border Mexico suffers from thinking that bad Mexican food is actually good. They don’t even know what they are missing. You might find something new that you just can’t live without, or a new place that you will have to come back to to show your own kids.
Tip: Be safe, but take all the opportunities of exploration that you can! You never know when they will come up again.
5. Taking a chance.
When I was first applying to colleges, I wanted nothing to do with the Pacific Northwest. Compared to Southern California, it always looked rainy, gray, unhappy, and full of hippies. Ironically, I ended up some 1,231 miles north of my home in Washington State. When it came down to applying, I ended up not even applying to one school in California. As Sam (Hilary Duff) says, "Never let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game."
Tip: Don’t do what I did -- DO apply to at least one school close to home just in case you change your mind!
There is so much out there that I want to explore, and moving away for college definitely helped me understand more about the world. It has been amazing living so far away, but it comes with a price. You will miss your family and friends, but never forget that they are always just a phone call away.
Tip: Don’t let fear keep you from your dreams.
