2,798 miles. That’s the number of miles I traveled for the biggest move of my life, the only real move. The move from my hometown to Berkeley for college.
Until my junior year of high school, I was convinced I was staying close to home for college. I was always a homebody, never going to sleep-away camps or traveling anywhere without at least one member of my family. I had only moved once in my entire life, from one part of my town to another, which couldn’t have been more than a few miles.
I grew fond of the familiarity. Knowing I could navigate my town with my eyes shut or that I always had someone with me so I never felt alone. It created ease that was shattered when I thought about college. About being away from everyone and everything I had grown accustomed to.
But during the summer between my sophomore and junior years of high school, I decided to attend a journalism program on UC Berkeley’s campus. After living in the dorms, navigating the city/my classes, and genuinely being alone, my mindset shifted. I no longer viewed the idea of going far for college with fear, but with interest and intrigue. I decided I wanted to use my four years to become independent and push myself out of my comfort zone, and going out of state seemed to fuel that.
By the time I had accepted my admissions offer from Cal, I was ecstatic. It was exactly what I wanted — a big school far from home where I would be pushed both academically and mentally. But in the weeks leading up to the big move, I began to feel wearier.
I was still excited, which never changed, but I started to question whether moving so far from my family was the right choice. I remembered the strict COVID lockdowns and wondered if something like that would happen again and I would be stranded without my family. What if I needed something, and I was too far away to get it? What if I hated the area and wanted something less eclectic and loud? What if my desire to not know anyone coming into school was stupid, and I wouldn’t know how to make friends? Above all else, I feared feeling lost.
The second I got on campus though, all those worries slipped away. I have fallen in love with the area, the weather, the campus, and the faculty. With technology, I am able to easily communicate with my family, and I have met so many amazing people that have already made my decision to come here worth it.
Even though it was easy to doubt that my decision to move across the country was the best choice for me in the weeks leading up to it, I have never regretted it. In just a year and a half, the incredible people I’ve met and the memories I’ve made make all those miles I traveled seem like nothing more than a number.