I remember driving the streets of my hometown after all my bags had been packed, my goodbyes had been said, and my last suitcase had been shoved into the trunk. It was the heaviest and strangest feeling; one few people will be able to understand until they’ve experienced it for themselves. There I was, driving the streets I had loved for my whole life, not knowing when I would drive them again. I knew the turns and bumps like the back of my hand, yet in the back of my mind I knew that all of the familiarities and all the comforts would soon be forgotten. Soon enough, Main Street would only be a small speck in my rearview mirror.

It was the scariest, most heart-wrenching moment of my entire life. All that I knew was about to become everything I had known and everything I was afraid of losing was literally going to slip through my fingers no matter how hard I tried to hold on. As I drove the streets one last time and watched the buildings fade into my past, I realized that leaving my hometown was undoubtedly going to be the hardest thing I was ever going to do. Little did I know that it was going to be the most exciting and rewarding thing that had happened to me.

Leaving home is never easy, never simple, and it never plays out as picture-perfect as it does in the movies. However, walking away from all you have ever known is the best thing you can do for yourself. No matter who is back home, who is missing you, or who is constantly wishing you were there, you need to pack your bags and create a future somewhere else. Despite the hardships, leaving home can teach you the most meaningful life lessons that you'll never learn until you kiss the town goodbye.

Leaving home makes you stronger.

When you leave home you’re suddenly thrown into a situation where you’re surrounded by nothing but foreign places and strange faces. The only choice you have is to make it, and generally that means making it on your own, no matter hard it gets and no matter how impossible it seems. When it's all said and done you’ll be proud to admit that you did it on your own.

It makes you appreciate the little things.

Suddenly you realize how special those small dirt roads were and how lucky you were to never experience a true rush hour. The little things that used to annoy you become the things you miss, and you find yourself reminiscing over the everyday things you used to take for granted. You suddenly realize how lucky you really were and had good you really had it.

You realize who your true friends are.

No matter how many people claim that “distance ain’t sh*t,” once you move away and start your own life, you realize that distance really does matter. However, no matter how many miles separate you and the people you love, you quickly realize who was always there for you, who always will be, and who never will be. If you need a wake-up call when it comes to your true BFF, here it is.

You forgive and forget.

No matter how much time passes and no matter how long you give yourself to heal, sometimes home hurts. It’s a place that has seen all of your past heartbreaks, hardships, and struggles, and your hometown doesn’t let you forget about everything you’ve been through. When you leave you suddenly let go of all the extra baggage you were carrying, and while you’re out creating your new life and finding your new sense of happiness, you discover that not only are you forgetting about everything that once hurt, you forgive everyone who played a part in that pain, too.

You build lifelong bonds with strangers.

Leaving your hometown forces you to say “hello” to the most random types people in the hopes of finding a sense of companionship in a place where you feel so lonely, and despite how scary and unsure certain situations may seem, eventually you’ll find your perfect fit and your perfect people. You’ll discover that there are people literally everywhere you have the ability to become your everything and you’ll realize that no matter where you go, you’ll always build connections that introduce you to people that can become the newest, biggest, most important people in your life.

It pushes you out of your comfort zone.

Saying goodbye to everything you’ve ever known allows you to become open to things you never thought existed before. You’ll find yourself doing things, speaking and acting in ways you had never imagined, and you’ll discover how brave and strong you really can be. You’ll be challenged in more way than one, and even if it is hard or scary, you’ll do things you never imagined possible. You’ll discover that you really can do anything.

You learn to really love your mom and dad.

No matter how annoying your mom’s nagging was, how irritated you got at your dad for taking your car away, and no matter how many times you were positive that your parents were just ruining your life, you’ll understand how special they were to you and how important they are in your life. If you don’t miss your mom’s bear hugs or your dad’s hovering “where are you?!” text messages, I promise you’ll miss your mom’s cooking.

You understand what mattered and what never will.

It’s easy to convince yourself that everything is the end of the world when you’re surrounded by the same people, the same opinions, and the same ideas of right and wrong. Once you leave home, you’ll realize how big and beautiful the world really is and you’ll quickly realize what (and who) never deserved your attention. With every new hello and new experience, you’ll realize what was important, who was important, and what things should remain important in your future.

No matter where you go, what you experience, or where you end up, home will always be there when you need a place to run away to. Without leaving home though, you may never have the ability to realize how special it really is, how much it has always meant to you, and how thankful you are for everything home taught you.

After all, your hometown has helped make you (and yes, it helped break you, too). While Dorothy was right when she said “there’s no place like home,” sometimes you have to say goodbye before you can appreciate the next hello.