3 Lessons That I learned When I Moved 1,000 Miles From Home For College

I was one of the lucky few who had known for years where they wanted to go for college. As most of my high school peers were scrambling to find that perfect fit, I just sat back and thanked my lucky stars that I did not have to go through that stress. Since I was a sophomore, I knew exactly where I wanted to spend my collegiate years: Louisiana State University. The catch? It was over 1,000 miles away from my home in upstate New York (a whopping 1,156 miles to be exact). I can’t tell you exactly why I fell in love with a school so far from home. All I can say is that as soon as I laid my eyes on that beautiful campus filled with stately oaks and broad magnolias (cue the Alma Mater playing over the bell tower... every 15 minutes), I could not get it out of my head, until finally I applied as a senior and got accepted. Now, looking back after my freshman year, I can see that it was one of the best decisions that I could have made for myself. I have got to experience so many new things after just one year, but there have also been some important lessons to learn. Here are 3 big lessons that packing up and moving across the country taught me.

Lesson 1: It is incredibly hard to pack up 18 years of your life into suitcases that can fit on a plane.

Luckily, my family decided that we were going to fly down to move me in and not take a 19-hour road trip (been there, done that, hopefully never doing it again). The drawback to this was that I had to somehow condense my life into 3 suitcases. As fate would have it, I have family down in Louisiana and we were able to order and ship most of the dorm supplies that I would need. All that I was really responsible for were my clothes and pictures and any other small things from my room at home. As it turns out, I have a lot of clothes. And I mean A LOT. Packing everything up without exceeding the carry-on and checked baggage weight limits is a difficult task that is definitely going to take me until I graduate to master. 

Lesson 2: Going home is a challenge, and I can’t make a surprise visit to home for laundry or a “mom” hug. 

Unlike my brother who stayed within a two-hour radius, I did not have the luxury of stopping home for a quick visit or an escape from the stress of college. I had to learn how to actually do my own laundry (without turning everything pink). I also learned how to adjust to being so far away and cope with the fact that I couldn’t go home as much as my high school friends could. Plane tickets are expensive! Luckily for me, I made friends with some other out-of-staters who were in the same boat as me. Together we’ve made the best of life in Baton Rouge, even on the weekends when there weren’t any football games. I’d say that we have definitely had some fun, which brings me to lesson #3.

Lesson 3: There is a whole world outside of Rochester, NewYork

Just during my first year, I have already made my first trek through Texas, Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama. Living in the south has exposed me to so many new places and adventures that I probably would not have experienced if I had stayed home. The south is a totally different culture. My eyes have now been opened to sweet tea, Raising Cane’s, temperatures above 90 degrees, and of course, Mardi Gras! “Y’all” is now a part of my daily vocabulary, as much as my family wishes it wasn’t, and I can’t go one day without listening to country music. 

As you could imagine, there are way more than 3 things that I have learned by being so far from home and adjusting to a new life style. However, all of the good things about this experience FAR outweigh the drawbacks. This change has been so incredibly worth it, and I would not trade this new life that I have found for the world. So, if you’re waiting for a sign to take that leap and pack up and move clear across the country for 4 years of totally eye-opening and beautiful change, here it is!

How to do a headstand

If you know anything about me, it's that I love doing headstands: anywhere and everywhere! I've done them in my room, on the beach in Pensacola, and even on the field in Tiger Stadium. I'm sure there will be a post detailing my "traveling headstand" saga, but for now, here is a tutorial that I had to film for my CMST 2060 class this semester on how to do a headstand. Enjoy, and good luck!

My First Blog Post: About Me

Hey! 

Well, I never thought that I would be here, running my own blog as a journalism major. I always pictured myself as more of the STEM-type, and that I would be off doing research on the oceans somewhere. However, here I am, and after changing my major twice already (I just finished my freshman year), I have landed on journalism. For now 😊

There is not much about the future that I know for certain, but if there’s one thing I’m confident about it’s that I want to travel. EVERYWHERE. And after some inspiration from my dear friend Meaghan (if you’re reading this, you’re the bomb.com) I realized that what better place to document my travels and random adventures and lessons that I learn than on my own blog! Thus, here we are. I hope you’re not too disappointed in my stories. 

But first, a bit about me. I was born and raised in Rochester, New York to two super awesome parents and a slightly-annoying but overall kinda cool big brother (really, Zack, I love you). I grew up traveling around the state and to local areas for dozens of travel softball tournaments per summer for 10 years and exploring the town of Penfield with my adventurous friends. 

My life was, and is, pretty awesome. 

However, around my sophomore year of high school, I decided that I needed to get out of this city known for garbage plates and Red Wings baseball and let myself grow in other corners of the country. 




Therefore, after graduation, I picked up and moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to spend my four years of college at LSU. 

So far, it has been the best decision that I have ever made. I am happier than I have ever been, and I get to explore so many new places that I would not have been able to, had I stayed close to home (examples include Texas, Florida, New Orleans, and so much more). 




Moving 1,000 miles from home has really helped me grow on my own and experience life in new ways. But, more on that later. 

So, that’s a (super) brief overview of who I am and where I’m at right now. Welcome to my blog, and I hope that you find it somewhat useful, or inspiring, or funny, or whatever have you. 

                                                                  Enjoy!