Life after High school

It seems crazy to me that after all the bonds we have created in high school, it can all be forgotten once college starts.  Many of us will move on and go someplace far away from here. Even though I don't want to lose the friendships I have gained here, I still wish to move on and be independent someplace away from this area.  Having to start all over and make new friends can be overwhelming to some people.  We can finally make our choices in college when we're independent; however, we may not all make the right choices.  I feel like this is all part of the learning process though.  Whatever choices we make on our own are definitely more important, but we learn from our mistakes whenever we make them.  I hope I make mistakes too.  I'll learn more by making some mistakes and correcting them then just getting everything right probably.  In the end I feel like a change of scenery is needed, at least in my perspective.  I'm ready to take on that role and be independent someplace else where I don't see my family every day, and they don't consult me.  This is something I think about every day.  While it does frighten me up a bit, it's also really exciting to me to be able to get a feel of the real world.