Some may call it running from your problems, I call it chasing my dreams.

I left for college in Boston in the fall of 2011. Almost two years later and I haven't been home for more than a few weeks at a time since then. It's weird, this change. All of my friends have returned home every break and every summer, while instead I have stayed in the city. I see all of them continuing to hang out and go to all our favorite places, and it makes me sad. While I love my life in Boston, I sometimes feel that I'm missing out on old friendships back home. When I came to Boston, I knew the city was the place for me. People told me I wouldn't like actually living in the city as opposed to visiting it, but boy have a proved them wrong. Not only did I explore the city every weekend freshman year, but I ended up loving it so much I stayed the summer after my first year of college. I rarely visit home because other than family and a few friends, I feel that my hometown has very little left to offer me. I believe I took full advantage and did my best with everything I could while in the hometown, but once I left I knew I wouldn't be coming back much. It's sad that I don't get to see my friends from home as often, while they continue to grow closer and hang out a lot and I sometimes go months without talking to them. While this is slightly depressing, the best part is that when we do get together every few months, it's like nothing has changed. Whether it be them visiting me in Boston, or us hanging out at each others houses like we used to, we continue to have a good time. So while I am missing out on the last summers of freedom we'll have together, I think the friendships and opportunities in Boston are even greater. My hometown will always be my hometown, but Boston has become my new home. As I prepare to head to Dublin in the fall, I can only begin to imagine how things will change yet again.