It's that time of the year again. Students are moving into their new dorms and have a pit in their stomach wondering if they have made the right decision. You may have some sleepless, homesick nights. You might even have days when you wonder why you wanted to move in the first place. Ultimately, you will realize that moving away from your hometown was definitely the right choice.

I'm not going to lie, moving away from my hometown was hard for me at first. I had to leave all of my friends and family and move 5 hours away to go to the college I wanted. I was scared and nervous because I was leaving everything I knew. I didn't want to leave my friends, especially my best friend. I was convinced I would lose her or she would give me up for someone else, yet she stood by me, just like she did my whole life. The best friends will always be there for you and support you no matter what, remember that.

I was also nervous because I was leaving the only place I ever called home. I knew my way around my town and always had something to do and a friend to do it with. I knew that going to a new place was going to take that away from me. I was so comfortable with what I knew and how I was living. I knew moving to a new place where I didn't know anything was going to be unsettling. That made me so unsure if moving 5 hours away was the right decision, but something inside of me knew I needed to try.

Dropping everything I knew and moving far away terrified me. I didn't know if I would make friends, I didn't know if I would have good experiences, and I didn't know if I would enjoy my time away from the people I cared about most. It was a scary feeling making the drive with all of my stuff in the trunk of my car, but now that I have been here a couple years, I have proved my fears wrong. I made friends, I had good experiences, and all the people I cared about always showed up when I needed them. I can say now that the decision I made to move was the right one.

At first, moving away was difficult for me and I missed my friends and the activities we used to do, but I soon realized the benefits of being away. Moving gave me the opportunity to freely be myself. I went through some hardships in high school (like most people do) and this made me afraid to be my true self. Moving away from that gave me the chance to have a fresh start and I really needed it. Having space from all of my mistakes back home gave me time to really figure out myself and who I was. This is something every person needs and moving away is the perfect way to accomplish it.

Leaving my hometown also gave me clarity on what I wanted in life. Back home I had so many people with high expectations of me that I didn't necessarily want to live up to. My parents wanted me to pursue one thing and my heart was leading me on a completely different path. This left me torn and worried if I was going to do the right thing for myself. Being away from that made it clear to me what was going to make me happy in the end. I decided what I wanted and I went for it. Now I am chasing my dreams and I couldn't be happier.

Lastly, moving away for college gave me some freedom I ultimately needed. I did not go crazy with it, but it was nice not having anyone to answer to. I could stay out late, make my own schedule, and decide for myself what I wanted to do. This freedom helped me mature and grow in ways I couldn't if I were still at home. I learned how to be more responsible and how to take care of myself even in crazy situations. Honestly, everyone needs to go through experiences like that to have an opportunity to grow up.

If you just moved to a new town and are unsure if you will make it, you will I promise. It may be tough at first, but soon enough you will make new friends and become comfortable with your new life. Enjoy it while it lasts, your next journey is right around the corner!