Many students at Manchester come from areas much larger than North Manchester, and the change of scenery is quite an adjustment in their first year. Well, I am having a similar adjustment at the exact opposite time! I have lived in the same house my entire life - in the middle of a field, just outside of North Manchester. (Literally in the middle of a field…this summer we were surrounded by beans on three sides!) Attending MU was not a change of scenery in the slightest and I have always been use to the small town feel. Now, in my very last semester, this small town girl has taken on the Windy City. That’s right! A girl whose closest neighbors have always been the cows across the road is now living in the heart of Chicago! And I love it! Change is so good. It is always eye opening and mentally fulfilling to try something new, especially when that new thing is a change of address. I’ve learned how to fall asleep to the sound of honking horns and the glare of streetlights, instead of chirping crickets and the soft glow of the moon.

         I cannot stress enough how good it feels to step out of your comfort zone! That can be literal or figurative and can be a small step or a huge one! I simply encourage you to try it. We are so young and have amazing lives ahead of us. We’re told to have plans and our lives figured out by the time we graduate, but that sounds too boring to me. Take a risk to be happy. Do odd jobs and travel the world. Sit down and write the novel you have always dreamed about. Learn to play guitar or to skateboard. Whatever it is, you still have the time to make a change! So what are you waiting for?