Deciding where to go to college is one of the most challenging decisions you'll ever make. The idea of moving on to higher ed and moving out of your childhood home is frankly terrifying. There are so many reasons why choosing a campus close to home seems like the best idea and it's hard to understand why leaving familiar territory would be the right decision.

Here's the deal. Your home will always be there for you, but now's the time to experience the world. Get out there and do it, you'll learn a lot along the way.

1. You are forced to get involved.

When you're states away from home, hanging out with your high school buddies on the weekend is out of the question. If you want to make friends quickly and find your niche, you have to put yourself out there — join some clubs or get involved with your hall — if you want to have a life, there's no way around it.

2. You will create a home away from home.

Sometimes the hardest part about being away from home is missing out on shorter holiday weekends with your family. Luckily, your new amazing college friends will embrace you, love to brag about you as their cool, "out-of-state" friend, and take you home to their family holidays! You'll learn about other families' holiday traditions AND it's reassuring to know that every family has a crazy Uncle Jack, just like yours.

3. You'll fall in love with a completely new region.

The surrounding cities are at your disposal for a weekend getaway or a day of shopping and exploration.

There's no denying that the pride people feel for their home is contagious. I think that Portland is the greatest city in the world, but I've learned to embrace Kansas City as a worthy rival. Seeing my friends bleed Royal blue and root for the Chiefs every year (even when it seems like a lost cause to me...) is contagious, making me want to fall in love with the city they call home.

4. You'll learn how to navigate airports like it's your job.

Even if you don't head home that often, Winter and Summer Break alone probably mean four to six flights a year. Since you're a college student and on a tight budget, you'll be taking inconvenient routes and crazy red-eyes to get the most bang for your buck. Soon, you'll be an expert when it comes to taking to the sky.

5. Your high school friendships will prove themselves.

Remember that time you told your high school friends, "I can't imagine my life without you"? Well, going to college halfway across the country puts that statement to the test. If you reach senior year and they're still your go-to's, you know you've been right all along.

6. You'll discover yourself along the way.

College is a time to explore yourself. There's something liberating in knowing that you're the only person on campus who knows what you looked like in middle school. You can try something new, abandon something old, and redefine yourself.

7. You'll come to love and appreciate your family, friends and hometown more than you ever thought possible.

Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder, which means that when you do head back home, everything will seem just a little bit more perfect than when you left it.