Rifling through the mail, I waited anxiously for a letter that had the ability to change the course of my life forever. The endless ads and bills passed until I came upon a letter that had travelled 791 miles. “Congratulations!” echoed from red print, welcoming me to discover the status of my admissions to the University of Alabama. But I wasn’t beaming or filled with joy as I had anticipated. Everything around me started to feel foreign and unfamiliar, as if I was no longer a Grosse Pointer but a visitor until next fall when I head south for college.

Going out of state for college was something I always thought I wanted. I was the kid sitting in class as early as sixth grade staring at the harsh winter blowing outside the classroom, picturing myself walking across campus at UCLA or Florida State. Considering in-state schools once felt like I was refusing to let myself discover the world outside of “the bubble” of Grosse Pointe.

When deciding where to go to college, going out of state may be the best option for some students. There are endless possibilities beyond the mitten, cultures and people you’d never know unless you’d decided to make the move. Walking across campus in a new place may offer new perspectives that help you mature as a student and person. The diversity you’ll encounter as an out-of-state student is priceless. When you are an out-of-state student, you’re forced to step out of your comfort zone and be absorbed by an entirely new place for the next four years.

Traveling long distances for a college degree can give you more than a new perspective. There are majors that Boston College or Indiana may offer that are not available at the University of Michigan or Michigan State. Or maybe you’re like me and hate the bitter cold of winter, and 70 degree winters are enough. Either way, the benefits of going out of state are endless.

However, sometimes we high schoolers are so ready to ditch our hometowns that we don’t realize how much we value the place we’ve lived in for the last 17 years. Because the reality is that students across the country are willing to pay an extra 20 thousand dollars to live in the state we’ve called home all this time. There is a peaceful and magnetic culture in Michigan that blossoms in our college towns—Ann Arbor and East Lansing alike.

Even as in-state students, we won’t have our parents there guiding us every step of the way. It just means that coming home for Christmas won’t require a three-day voyage. And, when you need it most, a home-cooked meal is just a three-hour car ride away.

I, like all other seniors, have a lot of decisions to make before May 1st. So know that these next couple of months should be a time for reflection and self discovery. Your appetite for adventure is valid, and if sunny skies or the mountains of Colorado or the culture of the east coast inspire you more than midwestern life, then go. Know that going to class in the next town over is not a death sentence for freedom or diversity. Don’t think yourself weak for enjoying close proximity to your family while attending college.

What I want out of my college experience isn’t the same as everybody else, and it shouldn’t be. Whether you’re 600 miles from home or just 60 minutes away, you’ll be exactly where you’re supposed to be.