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Getting the news that I'll be moving back home made me scream with delight, but it also has made me reflect on how much moving away from home has actually done for me.

As quick as my excitement came for being reunited with my friends and family in Melbourne I've been away from since 2020, so did the bittersweet realisation of bidding farewell again, but to the new connections I've made in Adelaide.

Before the news, being in Adelaide for three years seemed like such a long time. But now knowing that I'm moving back home in a week, it doesn't seem that long at all. Time is funny like that... We only wish for the things that we don't have, and once we have it, we wonder what we made such a big deal about.

Moving to Adelaide has taught me a lot of things about myself, as well as given me new experiences I probably never would have experienced if I never agreed to move. For one thing, I'm far more open to the idea of travel and it's all I want to do. It's exciting moving homes into a whole other city! Goodbyes can be somber, but if the people you bid farewell to matter a lot to you, they'll still be there where you left them. 

During my three years being here, I've also become much more open to the idea of trying new things. Getting blue hair, volunteering at shelters and festivals, and even writing for the university's student blog. I just know that if I hadn't made that first bold step to try something as new as moving interstate, I wouldn't have been anywhere near as bold to try everything else that came after.

Something else I've come to learn about myself is that I don't believe in mistakes. Between moving away from my friends and family and changing degrees in university, I wouldn't say I regretted anything. I don't regret trying my first degree and changing my mind-- I would've never known that the animal industry didn't seem that appealing a career to me otherwise! My "mistakes" have taught me more than generalised success ever could.

I would've also never met the people I have in Adelaide that have reminded me there are lots of good people in the world. Strong, everlasting friendships are possible with the right amount of love and dedication, and that's something I didn't really learn until I moved away.

I'm looking forward to returning to my family and friends with all the stories of the last three years I have with me. I'm very eager to discover what my future holds for me and what other places around Australia, or the world, I will call home for a while!