To anyone who didn't move away for college,

There are a few things that I wish you could understand. First of all, it does not matter that you chose to live at home and commute to school. You are doing what works for you, which is so important. You are out there getting an education and chasing your dreams, and I admire that. There are some differences, though, between commuting to school and living on campus. These may not be negative differences, but there are some things I just wish you could understand.

I went away from this town and high school and I truly left it all behind here. I want no mention of high school. There are bigger and better things than high school. Contrary to what people may tell you, high school is not the best four years of your life. I am an alum, not a current student of my old high school. I loved choir, but I do not wish I was still singing with them. I am happy for my old high school football team going to states, but no, I do not care to attend any of the football games. My main school focus is my university, not what my high school rival is doing.

Going away to school changed my perspective on things. I spent nine months in a completely different town. I talked to completely different people, and I sorted my problems out on my own. This allowed me to learn new things about myself.

I'm sorry if it seemed like your friends didn't talk to you as much. They were busy. They were involved in a lot. I'm sorry if it seems as though they have a whole new set of best friends, but they do. That does not mean that you are not also still their best friends. They now just have double the friends. Yes, they do miss their new friends when they visit home. They hope that you have met just as great friends at your school. They want that for you because you are still their best friend.

It's not that any of your friends who went away for school would change your college experience, it is that they wish you could understand what it is like to move away and start over. They wish you knew what it was like to live with your best friends then move away from them. Your friends who went away want you to understand why coming back home reminds them of high school and how coming back here makes them miss all the things that they can do at college. I dread this town because I have left. Once you leave, you don't want to come back, not because it's bad, but simply because you have seen other places now. I just really wish you knew how much this new place means to me. I just really wish you knew.