I was born and raised in a small town in Northeast Indiana. There's a few things to do on the weekends, but the town pretty much shuts down after 10 p.m. It's a beautiful place with a lot of great people, don't get me wrong, but after living here for eighteen years I'm definitely ready for a change of scenery. I've always felt the pull that there's something else out there for me, that I don't belong here with such a small amount of people. I've always believed that humans were meant to travel and explore, not stay in the same place forever. When deciding which college I wanted to go to, choosing one far away (but close enough for my family to visit) was a no-brainer. Here's why I can't wait to leave this small town to explore new places during the next four (or more) years.

I will meet so many new people.

I've pretty much cycled through all of the cliques in this small town, never finding one that I belonged to. I will have so many opportunities to meet new people and make new friends. I will meet new people every single day. The glory of attending a college with over 40,000 students is that if I don't ever want to see someone again, I don't have to!

I will experience different cultures.

Attending a diverse school will be a game changer for me after living in such an un-cultured town where everyone looks the same, thinks the same, and has the same beliefs (for the most part). I'm looking forward to seeing how the new people I meet see the world differently than me.

I will have a fresh start where virtually no one knows who I am.

I can re-invent myself. Moving to a place where you only know a few people can be a curse and a blessing, but in my case, it will definitely a blessing! I will have the chance to create a new image of myself, I can be who I want to be without worrying about how the people I've grown up around think I should act.

I will learn new things about myself.

Being in a new environment will force me to think differently as I encounter things I haven't before. I won't have my mom to call from the next room when I need help with something, I'll be forced to solve the problem on my own. As I encounter new situations, I will discover new ways of thinking and I will ultimately learn new things about myself that I wouldn't have learned being stuck in this small town.

There is nothing wrong with the town I grew up in. The people who live there are great, and my friends and I can always find something to do (even if it is just running to McDonald's). I just don't belong here. My soul is eager to wander and experience life in a new place. I may return someday, but as for now, I will leave this town and won't look back.