Packing up all my things and moving six and a half hours away last fall was scary. I was forced to say goodbye to my life and the things I was comfortable with. I was going to be in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people. It was scary, but I was ready.

I was ready to embark on a journey unlike a lot of my friends. Going to the University of Kentucky was my dream, and when the opportunity starred me right in the face, I jumped.

Returning home after being gone for so long is very strange. You are expected to follow your parent’s rules again which is an adjustment. For me personally, I missed a lot. I missed things that went on in my sibling's lives as well as the lives of my friends. I went to college alone. I did not know many people attending UK when I went, but that was exciting.

Since I’m originally from Atlanta, Georgia a lot of my friends attended the University of Georgia. For me, UGA was a little too familiar and it was a little too close to home. Being that it is a very popular school for students to choose, I said goodbye to a HUGE part of my life on August 6^th when the class of 2021 moved into their dorms.

Although I did not want to stay close to home in any way, I found myself having a serious case of fear of missing out during certain points of the school year. Many of my friends stayed friends with our group from high school and found completely new people as well.

Although this seems bad, for me, it was that much more of a reason to leave Georgia. Don’t get me wrong, I loved high school and I love my high school friends, but I was ready to completely restart six and a half hours away from home.

At first, it was hard. I was uncomfortable. I rushed a sorority and was able to find a home in an amazing chapter. This was only the beginning of my growth process. I had the opportunity to go to school and be literally whoever I wanted to be.

No one knew me in Lexington. I found awesome friends within my sorority, and was pushed again when classes started to find more friends. I had classes that were both huge lectures, and some that didn’t exceed 15 people. This opportunity of being in a classroom setting allowed me to make friends that were interested in the same things as me and had similar goals as me.

I did not visit home much during my freshman year, but now that I am home for the summer, I am truly able to appreciate the people I left behind when I moved to Lexington, KY. Coming home to my family and best friends is that much more exciting because I do not get to see them as frequently as others do.

The adjustment of college at an out-of-state school taught me to value the importance of new beginnings, but cherish the memories of the past in a unique way. I am eternally grateful for those I left behind when I started school and those who walk the journey of college by my side every day at the University of Kentucky.