As I watch my childhood home fade away as my parents and I drive toward Wyckoff Avenue on a late August day, I can't help but be flooded by childhood memories. Pulling away from my house feels like being torn away from everything I know.

For the first time in my life I was headed toward a place away from my home where I would be staying… and not just for a vacation. I was leaving for good. Forever, it felt. The prospect of attending college had consumed my entire high school career at Ramapo. But it felt like the day that I would actually make my way to college and begin what seemed to be a "new life" would never really come. So when a summer filled with dorm-room shopping came and went and Aug. 27, 2009 finally arrived, it sprung on me.

My nine-and-a-half hour drive down to Elon University in North Carolina was consumed with apprehension. So many of my unanswered questions that I had been avoiding for months were suddenly swarming my head… How could I ever find friends like I have at home? Would I be able to manage my time? Could I handle being on my own and not having my parents there? Would I miss home too much?

As we pulled up to my dorm room, began unloading the car and started moving my things into my room, my anxieties slowly disappeared. It became very clear to me that I may very well be in the same exact position as all the other girls busily moving into their own rooms. It seemed as if we were all starting anew. And a fresh start suddenly didn't seem so bad.

My original premonition on move-in day about life at Elon was proven true very quickly within my first few weeks attending the university. I became assimilated with my classes sooner than I expected, I met a bunch of awesome people and made some great friends, and I found myself feeling completely in tune with my surroundings. As I quickly discovered,  I was not alone at Elon, and there was no need to harbor fears and worries. In fact, school quickly became my second home, my home away from home.

But maybe leaving is not necessarily about having two homes. One of the many (many, many, many) things that my first year of college has taught me is that home is not limited. My home has expanded and broadened. Being comfortable is what is most important, and being surrounded by people that love and support you is what makes a place home. Coming back to my Wyckoff home from school felt familiar and comfortable. Going back to my Elon home in the fall will feel familiar and comfortable, as well.

While my life has changed immensely in the past year, I have come to the conclusion that change will only make me who I will ultimately become. My home has grown, yet I have not lost Wyckoff. My life is in rapid motion. It's not completely here in Wyckoff nor at Elon, but rather somewhere in between.

Mia Brady is a lifelong Wyckoff resident who is studying journalism and professional writing at Elon University in North Carolina.