The most spontaneous thing I’ve done in my life has been to move far away from home. I'm not talking about just a few miles away but 1,084 miles, to be exact. I don’t know what made me decide to become an out-of-state student, but all I know is that I wanted a new beginning. I remember the day I received my college acceptance letter. As I opened the letter and saw the word “Congratulations,” a rush of emotions took over me. I felt happy, ecstatic, overjoyed, but at the same time, I was scared to death. I felt petrified that I was about to move to a big city, and especially at the fact that I was going to move to a place where I didn’t know a soul. I've had countless people ask me how I was capable of moving so far away, but I tell them this: It was all worth the risk.
I learned.
"Nothing can bring you peace but yourself" -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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EversinceIcanremember,I'vealwayshatedtheideaofstayinghomealoneorevenrunning errands bymyself,Iavoided being alone atallcosts. One of the biggest fears I had about college was the fact that I didn't enjoy the idea of being with myself because I feared that I would feel lonely. After moving in, it took me a couple of months to realize that the essence of being alone is not scary at all; in fact, it's liberating. I learned new skills and traits about myself through exploring, reading, walking, getting lost, and simply enjoying my own company. I slowly started seeing a beautiful, confident, and happy version of myself that I had never been able to meet.
I matured.
After going home for Thanksgiving Break, I realized how much I had grown up in a matter of just three months. I promise you that college changes you more in a matter of months than high school ever did. Due to the number of responsibilities I would have to face in college, I knew I had no other choice but to grow up. Going home for Thanksgiving made me realize that I now view things from another perspective, I try to fix problems myself, I have stopped making a big deal out of small issues, and most importantly, I have become independent.
I accepted and embraced.
Moving out and starting your life some place new, surrounded by different people, cultures, situations, opinions, and beliefs, makes you see the world much differently. It allows you to realize that there are many other people who are dealing with the same or even worse problems than yours. I realized that every college student is just going with the flow of life. Going through ups, downs, and endless obstacles of life. I learned to accept change, myself, and the understanding that life isn't perfect, nor am I. Moving out and seeing things from another perspective made me finally accept myself, my flaws, my failures, and mistakes, but at the same time, embrace who I am.
The experience as an "out-of-stater" may differ from person to person, but the life lessons one obtains by taking such a great risk will teach more than one could ever dream of. So go out and explore, learn, take on new challenges, push yourself, and embrace it all.
