One year. Twelve months. That's all the time I have to prepare to leave my loved ones. Leaving for college won't be easy, but it will be worth it. Whether you choose to go to a college near your family or far away, things will change. Here are some thoughts to have as we prepare to go on a new adventure.

If your family is your lifeline, the ones you tell everything to, the ones you go to when something isn't right, the ones who make you smile when you don't think you can, then you're not alone. We all have things that our family can do for us that others cannot. When we go to college, we won't have them there 24/7 for us whenever we need them. Keeping that in mind, it's time to take advantage of the time we have.

Sure, college is a great new experience, but there will always be things you can get at home that you can't get at school. I know that my family always has something funny or odd to say to me whenever I need it. (When I don't need it too!) Even though I don't appreciate it now, I'm sure I'll miss it when I leave. I'll probably miss the little things too, like my mom making my school lunch for me, my dad sharing his stories with us, and my siblings being, well, my siblings.

College is meant to be "the best years of your life", and I'm sure they'll be great. I'm as excited as everyone else is to get out there and experience more life. But I've been realizing, lately, that once I leave for college, I don't know that I'll ever live at home full-time again. That means no having lunches made for me, no spontaneous outings, family dinners every night, or constant new inside-jokes.

Going away from home is bound to give me a new perspective on my family. I'm expecting to not just appreciate things more but to appreciate them more. I love them now and I'll love them then, of course, but I hope our relationship gets even deeper than what it is now. My siblings are my best friends right now. I'm hoping that in the future I'll add my parents to that list. I think leaving will open my eyes to what I will be missing at home and why it is so great. College is going to be spectacular, I'm sure. But I can't imagine it being better than what I have now. Of course, my family is annoying, but not nearly as much as they are loving.

No matter how obnoxious my family can get, I will miss them when I am somewhere else. So take advantage of having your family close to you now, because soon they will be too far away to do every-day things with you. Start seeing what you have now and maybe you can grow a deeper appreciation for everything your family gives you. When you go to college, your family doesn't go away, they just become further from you. Although the distance between my family and I will be further, I'm hoping our relationships will be closer.