My family has had its roots deep in Grosse Pointe for generations. I grew up in the same house my grandmother grew up in and even shared the same childhood bedroom with my dad. So the idea of leaving the place I have called home for so long is scary. Maybe petrifying is the better word for it.
In the fall, I will be attending the University of Arkansas, which is a 14 hour drive and 902.7 miles away. I am terrified. Those numbers are huge, and I have never been that far from home. Of course I am excited as well. I get to decorate my own room and meet new people– plant my own roots if you will. However, there is a cautiousness to that excitement that I didn’t expect.
Grosse Pointe is familiar to me, comforting even. The streets are tied to memories of my childhood and stories of my dad’s. The classrooms and halls I walked my whole life were walked by two whole generations before me, but in Arkansas, everything is new. I will be starting completely fresh, blank slate, and while the idea of not knowing anyone at the school is terrifying, I am so grateful for the opportunity to branch out. To branch 902.7 miles out to be exact. I am approaching this new chapter with apprehension, but I know that I have a community and a family behind me, no matter how far behind me they may be, there to support me.