The countdown is up, the clock has run out and it is finally time for me to move to Michigan. After seeing countless Snapchat "stories" of my high school classmates enjoying their first weeks of college, excitement continues to build up inside me for my future at Michigan State University. That excitement, however, is paired with a saddening realization that I must leave my beloved hometown: San Clemente, California. I spent this summer soaking in every last drop of this "Spanish Village by the Sea," and saying I'll miss it is a complete understatement.

I've been lucky enough to call this surf town home my entire life. When I was in elementary school, my family would spend Sunday mornings eating breakfast at Love Burger's after church. We walked down Del Mar Street for "Puttin' on the Glitz" during Christmas time, and gazed at Santa Clause as he rode up the street on a fire truck. I learned how to golf at the San Clemente Municipal golf course, which turned out much better than my few attempts of surfing at T-Street beach. I couldn't imagine spending my childhood anywhere else.

My favorite parts of this city do not only reside in nostalgia. I still love sitting at bonfires with friends and endlessly debating whether or not to go for a night swim. Once in a while, I can enjoy listening to spoken words poetry or acoustic music at Zebra House Coffee's open mic nights. My sister and I have made a tradition out of running on the beach trail until we reach the pier, then eating crepes at La Gallete. There's also never a time where driving on PCH with the windows rolled down and music blasting hasn't dissolved some stress. San Clemente is my home, and that will never change.

All of these memories, in addition to many more, made San Clemente the perfect place for me to grow up. Not many people can say they wake up every morning on the Californian coast, only minutes away from the beach. Admittedly, I often took that luxury for granted. I could jump in the ocean for a swim after school any time of the year, and the sunsets are uniquely beautiful every night. Some of the best moments I remember in San Clemente were when I stopped to take in my surroundings and realize how lucky I am to live here.

Not only do the surroundings make San Clemente a paradise, but also the people. I'm thankful for the artistic, kind and genuine people who also love this town. Without them, San Clemente would be like an incomplete puzzle; almost finished, but not quite right.

Now I'm about to leave this all behind for East Lansing, Michigan. This place has been like my second home for as long as I can remember, and I never thought I'd end up saying "GO GREEN" as proudly as I do now. San Clemente will always fill a part of my heart, but I can't wait to see what this next part of my life has in store for me.