When I came to live in Indiana for school, I knew leaving my family would be hard. I knew being five hours away was going to be one of the hardest trips I had ever taken. Fast forward to today and I am sitting at my desk, living in Indiana and about to start my junior year of college. But the pain of leaving my family never goes away, it just gets easier. Today I want to tell you five reasons leaving your family to pursue your dreams is totally okay.

1. They still love you no matter what

I can promise you that no matter if it is twenty minutes or twenty hours, if you are traveling for school or a job, your family loves you no matter what. One of the questions I struggled with was if my fmaily would forget me or love me less because I moved. Boy, was I wrong! It makes the time we spend together so special. Never, never, never doubt the love there.

2. They are so proud

My number one love language is words of affirmation. That being said, the words I thrive on are "I am proud of you." My mom tries to show it and tells me and sometimes that is better than anything she has ever said. But even if the words don't come from their lips, remember, your family never would make the trip to see you or the effort to pay for school if they weren't proud.

3. It's okay to cry over them

A good cry is always okay. When I left my family for the first time, I cried for a while. That is totally okay! You just moved out of your family home into the world, that is something to cry about. But remember, once the tears stop, you can always call mom.

4. Absence does make the heart grow fonder

Since staying out in Indiana over the summer, I was finding myself talking about my family more and more. But now I am finding that the time they are here, I am in awe of how special that time is. But each day they aren't, it sucks. But I am still here to tell the tale.

5. You have time

Time is an interesting concept but you need to know that just because it may feel like it's crawling away, it isn't. You have time to call, you have time to visit. MAKE TIME FOR THEM!