I was born in Nebraska, and I have lived here my whole life. I grew up going to school here, and I am almost ready to graduate college and move to a different state. I am so excited to get out of the midwest, and experience the east coast or west coast or even up north. I don't really know where I'll end up for sure, but I'm so excited to continue my life somewhere else. Now, let me explain why.

First of all, I want to note that this article is not a means to make others who have lived and stayed in Nebraska (or anywhere else) their whole lives feel bad about it. If you love it where you are, you have every right to stay where you are. However, I think that no matter how comfortable you are where you are now, you should travel to different places, experience new things, and take every opportunity you get to get the most out of life.

Nebraska is always going to be "home." Even when I am living in a different state in the future, I am sure I will miss things about Nebraska. I just feel like people who never leave the place they grew up in, never get to experience all that is out there. I have always wanted to experience it all. I am a strong believer that you should go everywhere you can and do everything you can.

I want you to get uncomfortable. I want you to question your life and where you are at now. I want you to take every opportunity to experience life somewhere else. I want you to meet new people and learn new things in a way you cannot at "home."

I got back from a trip to New York a few weeks ago. New York taught me a lot of things. People will tell you things about different places, but you still have to get out there and define those places for yourself.

"New York is dirty."

"The people in New York are mean."

"Why would you want to have to taxi everywhere?"

"Why do you even like New York?"

Let me tell you why I like New York, and not even New York, but everywhere else out there.

New York is not dirty. I don't even know what "dirty" means when referring to a place. Everywhere I went to felt clean and new and wonderful.

The people of New York are NOT mean. Almost everyone I saw was doing everything they could to have the best life in return. I want to be in a place like this. The people there will motivate you; they will make you want what they have. I'm not taking about their money, I am talking about their success. I loved how everyone there was so nice, and always wanted to know more about where I was from. I loved how people there wanted to make sure you had the best experience there. I loved how the people made me want to go back.

Taxi's are actually so cool, and they give you an opportunity to, yet again, meet new people. I loved taxi drivers who would tell stories about their job. I loved the idea of openness that everyone in New York seems to have.

Why do I even like New York? For the same reason I like a lot of other places. I like motivated people. I like seeing people work hard, and being able to enjoy life as a result. I like life there. I like the way people live there.

I just want to end this by saying that no matter where you have lived or where you are currently living, that there is so much more out there to see and fall in love with. You can fall in love with places just as much as you can fall in love with a person. New York inspired me. Will I live in New York? Probably not, but I would love to visit it frequently. What place will I live in? I cannot tell you now, but I can tell you that I will be living where people are motivated and inspired, and I will be a part of something so much more.