When it came time for me to start applying and looking into colleges, the stress of picking out the right campus for me was extremely stressful. For a long time, I thought that I would never leave the state of Florida in order to continue my education. In my mind, I thought that I would end up at either Florida State University or the University of Central Florida.

However, these two colleges were taking forever to tell me whether or not I was going to be accepted into their programs. Time felt like it was ticking down, and my decisions on colleges had to be made soon.

In December of 2015, my parents and I were watching football games all day, and I was trying to forget about the fact that I had no idea where I was going to school yet. One of the football games we were watching was Appalachian State University versus Ohio, and my parents and I got on the conversation of applying to Appalachian State 'just for fun.' My family and I had lived in Apex, North Carolina, for about two years when I was still in elementary school. We had been to Appalachian State's campus one time on a family trip when I was about nine, but I knew nothing else about the school.

With no idea of what schools were going to accept me, I applied to Appalachian State. It wasn't until I started researching all of Appalachian's different programs, clubs, and outside activities that I thought going to this school could be a total possibility. Before I was even accepted, my mom and I made the eight-hour drive from Jacksonville to Boone. While the drive was longer than most people would want to be stuck in a car, the views of the Appalachian mountains and the beautiful campus made it all worth it in the end. After touring and being accepted shortly after, I knew that App was the place I was meant to be.

Of course, the main issue I had to think about was how far I was going to be from my hometown, family, and close friends. While I knew that Appalachian State was my dream university, it was hard to think about the things I would be missing out on not being home.

I wouldn't be able to come home on a random weekend just because I missed my family, or my family and friends wouldn't come up and visit me often because of the long drive. With other factors I took into consideration, I decided that this was still a leap-of-faith I wanted to commit to — so out-of-state I went.

While I miss my friends, family, and dog almost every single day, going far from home to a whole new place was the best decision I've ever made. In Jacksonville, it barely gets below a temperature of 50, it's always humid, there are scary bugs everywhere, and the state is completely flat. In Boone, North Carolina, it's a whole new ball game.

The weather can sometimes be warm, but, a lot of the time, it's extremely cold and windy. I get to experience snow every year, which always makes me light up like a little kid. My friends at school always get a kick out of a Floridian seeing white stuff fall from the sky. I've learned to embrace the cold and appreciate it over Florida humidity.

The most important thing I've learned about being an out-of-state student is how fun/difficult it can be to be completely independent. I only go home three times during the school year, and that has shaped me into a different person. My freshman year, not going home until Thanksgiving was HARD. Last year, it really wasn't that bad. And, this year, I know I'll be fine. While my family is extremely important to me, so is growing into my own kind of person. I've come to the realization that, one day, I could have to move far away from home for my career. There are three-day weekends in college that I usually spend alone because I don't want to drive home, and that's totally OK. Living on my own all the time is helping me not rely on others as much as I used to.

While I consider Jacksonville to be my 'home,' I'm thankful that I have Boone to call my 'home away from home'. Any student that goes out-of-state for college will tell you it can be difficult sometimes, but it has definitely shaped me into the person I am becoming. I've met the best friends, had the greatest experiences, and I've created countless memories. I wouldn't change it for the world.