I remember in high school, many of my friends expressed dreams of attending college far from home. It was my tentative plan to attend the University of Nebraska, which is only five minutes away from my home. I was content with that. As junior year wrapped up, everyone became more serious with their college selection. The majority of my friends ended up staying in Nebraska, mainly due to the financial reality. However, I had a couple of friends living in Louisville, KY at the time. They encouraged me to look into the University of Louisville and audition for the feature baton twirler position, since it is a full ride scholarship. I decided to try out, and was offered the position. After much consideration, I decided to accept the opportunity, take a leap of faith, and relocate my whole life to Kentucky. I now attend the University of Louisville, which is about a twelve hour drive from my hometown.

I've met new people, joined different groups on campus, and have become a more outgoing person overall. I decided to join a sorority, Kappa Delta, which has been such a rewarding experience. I believe if I had stayed in Nebraska, I probably wouldn't have gone through rush because I already knew so many people attending the school.

I've also taken on a considerable amount of responsibility. In all honesty, I had never done laundry a day in my life before I came to college. Now, I cook, clean, pay rent, plan my training schedule, and decide what needs to get done on a daily basis. I'm more self sufficient and have certainly learned a lot about "adulting".

With any great opportunity comes great sacrifice. Without a doubt, the hardest thing is living so far from my mom. Being an only child, we have always been really close, so it is difficult not being able to see her for weeks (sometimes months) at a time. However, being the supermom she is, mama Lien still gives the best advice from twelve hours away. For those of you that may live at home and get sick of your parents, cherish them! Of course, I also miss my close friends from back home, and take advantage of FaceTime as a result.

Although it's not always easy, I've had a fantastic experience branching out. Sometimes I wonder how different my life would be if I had stayed in Nebraska. It certainly would've been easier and more comfortable. Especially around the time of college, though, it's important to push yourself and test your capabilities.