I grew up in a town of about 40,000 people, too big to be considered a small town, too small to be considered much else. From a very young age, my parents made it clear that they wanted me to go to college. Even back then, I knew I wanted to leave town; I didn’t care where. All I knew was that I wanted to see what else the world had to offer. By the time I reached my senior year of high school, I was aching to leave. I felt like I had been living inside of a bubble for the past 18 years, and I wanted out.

Thanks to a lot of hard work and a good support system, I ended up at San Jose State University, a nine-hour drive from home. In April, when I committed to the school, the distance scared me. The longest I had spent apart from my parents was a few days, and now I was going to be gone for months at a time. At the time, I would not have called myself independent; I relied on my parents, particularly my mother, way more than I should have.

The drive on moving day felt endless. I got settled into my dorm and my family left not long after, leaving me alone for the first time ever. I quickly occupied myself by getting familiar with my new home and making new friends. After only a few days, I felt at home. It was still an adjustment, though. Living on my own forced me to do my own laundry, and I had to call my mother the first few times to ask for advice.

For the first month or so, my parents would ask me from time to time if I felt homesick. And when I thought about it, I wasn’t. I had thrown myself into my classes and extracurriculars, and hanging out with friends. Not to mention how amazing it is living right next to downtown. With so many things to do, how could I get bored? For the first time in my life, I was being independent and taking care of myself, and enjoying every second of it.

Don’t get me wrong, there are a few things I miss about my hometown. I miss my parents, and the genuine Mexican food (shoutout to La Vic’s); I miss my old dance studio and friends. But I don’t want to go back -- not permanently at least. As of right now, San Jose is my home. I am excited to visit home for a month during winter break, but by the end of January, best believe I will be excited to come back.