After I graduated from high school, I could not wait to finally go to college. I was so excited for all of the changes and new people that I was going to meet, and all of the excitement that came with it. After a year of going through the lengthy college application process, I decided where I was going to go--my dream school, a large university in Boston.

In late August, my family and I packed up our minivan and with high hopes, I headed to school! What happened next was a surprise to us all that originally struck me as a huge disappointment but turned out to be the biggest blessing in disguise.

When I got there, the excitement I once felt turned into nervousness. No one had warned me of the severity of the painful homesickness I would feel, for both my friends and my family. I never had anxiety in my life until I got there. It was unexpected and difficult to manage, especially for someone who had never experienced those feelings before. I tried to make it work best I could, but something in my gut told me that this was not the place for me. After a few weeks of trying to stick it out, I felt that this school was not the right fit. I was devastated. I felt I let down everyone in my life, my parents, my family and even myself.

I didn't know what to do next once I came home. All of my other friends were away at school, and I couldn't help but compare myself to them. I felt as though something was wrong with me because I wasn't able to make it work in Boston.

But I was so wrong.

The truth, I later learned, is that I simply wasn't ready to go to college after I graduated from high school, and that was perfectly OK. So I decided to take an unplanned, unexpected gap year. While this was difficult at the time, it turned out to be the biggest growing and learning experience I've ever had.

During my gap year, I worked and took two classes at a local college. I spent time with my family, traveled, and became a stronger person than I was ever before. I learned more about who I was and became more comfortable with myself. I started to think about what I actually wanted for myself and what my actual interests were, rather than doing things for the sole purpose of pleasing others.

During my unexpected, unplanned, but enlightening gap year, I learned the importance of taking time for yourself. I learned the importance of independence and being comfortable in your own skin. I learned that life doesn't always work out the way you plan it. In fact, most of the time, it doesn't! And while this may be scary, the unknown and uncertainty can be exciting and hopeful if you let it. It's exciting to think about all of the possibilities that life has to offer and that we don't even know about yet.

I personally believe that many students can highly benefit from taking a gap year. It might not be for everyone, but it gives you time to learn about who you are. We are so pressured as young people to decide what path we want to take in life, and while the opportunities that are offered to us are something we should be hugely grateful for, it also can be extremely overwhelming, and this fact often gets overlooked.

If I hadn't taken a gap year, I wouldn't have ended up reexamining what I really wanted in a school. While going through the search again was difficult, I am so incredibly happy that it happened, because I ended up at The University of Scranton. Scranton is the polar opposite of the school I originally intended, but I absolutely love it. I discovered, in my gap year, that what I wanted wasn't in Boston but in Scranton, at a small university where the community is full of kind-hearted, giving individuals and endless opportunities.

Taking a gap year taught me that it's OK that life doesn't go according to plan. It taught me that it is imperative to your happiness to give yourself the time you need to learn who you are. It taught me to never compare yourself to others, because everyone is different and has their own story.

I am so grateful that I took a gap year between high school and college because I wouldn't be who I am today without that life-changing experience.