Nebraska has given me friends, both good and bad adventures, and a childhood of extraordinary memories. I turned 17 and realized that going to college in Nebraska meant I would have to stay here, complacent with a life that wasn’t fulfilling;  I didn’t want to stay in Nebraska. As a child of immigrant parents, it may be in my blood to leave home and start anew. But, I had come to find it was all in my head.

The PLHS newspaper crew attended a journalism conference at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to learn and, hopefully, broaden our knowledge of journalism. Although I was excited to be at this event, I was more curious about things I would see on the UNL campus. As we rolled up the steps, I pulled out my phone and took a video of my friends and the doors we were about to enter. I had already decided that I wouldn’t attend a university in Nebraska because I saw myself happier among new people and living in a different setting.

A campus that allows students to have freedom and looks picturesque sounds promising to me. As a senior, I am thrilled about college because it’s a time in our lives when we discover who we are and what our part in the world is.

The autumn season is almost idyllic and picturesque but autumn at UNL is breathtaking. I realized this as I sat on the edge of a pristine waterfall during our lunch break. I viewed a panoramic view of apple cider brown, apple red, and pumpkin orange leaves swaying to the left then to the right of many sturdy tree branches. College students walked past my friends and me, wearing outfits that complimented the crisp weather. I looked down at my feet and kicked them back and forth, being in the moment with my thoughts. “I think I could see myself at UNL.”

On our bus ride back to school, I sat in the last row, recollecting my thoughts on the day. I concluded that Nebraska still had things to offer me. I accepted that the world will always be there for me to explore, and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln is a perfect place to begin.