“Wow, you go to college all the way in Texas?” This is the most common reaction that I hear when I tell people in my hometown of New Providence, New Jersey that I attend Southern Methodist University. Some people believe that I am brave to go to school halfway across the country, while others are simply left confounded. It is unusual for New Providence students to leave the east coast for college, so those who are left confounded tend to ask me why I chose to go so far away.

I desired to go out-of-state to change my surroundings and to become more independent. For 18 years, I had grown up in the same 12,000-person town in the same colonial house. A majority of my family lived within a two-mile radius of me and I had known most of my graduating class since kindergarten. By the time that I was 17 and searching for the perfect college, I knew that I needed a change from my comfortable life in New Providence.

I wanted to experience a completely new place with a new group of people. Going to a school in the heart of a major city in Texas with a diverse group of students sounded like an exciting new adventure. I have lived in Dallas for over a year now and I never find myself bored here. I continue to try new restaurants, discover quaint coffee shops to study at, and explore the various neighborhoods of Dallas. In addition, I have met, and am still meeting, people from all over the country and world. Most of my friends do not even live on the east coast! We all come from different backgrounds and lifestyles, but we get to explore Dallas together throughout our four years here.

I have also become more independent after moving to Dallas. I schedule my own doctor’s appointments, car appointments, and haircuts. I maneuver through airports alone. I deal with emergency situations without immediate help from my parents. Being so far away from home has forced me to grow up and mature faster than if I lived close to home. I would have relied on my parents more and I would not have learned how to handle these situations on my own if I had stayed nearby for school. However, I can now live independently from my parents and I feel confident that I can survive in a new city by myself in the future.

Although I do envy my friends who can go home once a week to eat a home cooked meal or to see their pets regularly, choosing to go out-of-state for college has been one of the best decisions of my life. If you are strongly considering going to school far away from your hometown, take the risk and do it. Leaving New Jersey has forced me to get out of my comfort zone and it has transformed me into a more confident, well-rounded person.