So many students around the country find the idea of going to a school that is far away or out-of-state, away from family, not knowing anyone, and general uncertainty, daunting. While this can be for a few reasons, one of the main reasons is travel.

Also when I say out-of-state, I live in Pennsylvania now, so I mean REALLY out of state, not Minnesota. Y’all can suck it up and make the four hour drive.

But I want to tell you that distance should not be the thing to deter you from not only going to any college but specifically U Iowa. I have loved every moment of my time at Iowa so far, I’ve found some popularity on social media which is leading to new opportunities, and I’ve made a killer friend group that I wouldn’t trade for the world. But the one question I had to think about before any of this was, how do I even get here?

Iowa isn’t exactly a bustling hub of trade and commerce, shocking, I know, so me and my family had to get savvy when it came to not only getting there but for an affordable price. I live right next to Harrisburg, PA, which has a small airport that will at least go to Chicago. I then transfer there to Cedar Rapids and I’m all good! If you aren’t used to flying like I am, it can be daunting, but I assure you it isn’t once you’ve done it once.

While I had to be ruthless when it came to deciding whether or not to bring certain things home, and leaving space to bring things back, it wasn’t bad. I didn’t have to check anything and I got home with no problems.

I know it can seem like a tall task as an out-of-state student to head to/from U Iowa, but not only is it worth it, the rhythm will come to you and the way to do it will show itself. Don’t let that deter you from going to any school, as it will always be worth it to venture out into the world and explore.