Ever since the time I was very young, I have always enjoyed living in Albert Lea. I have been able to call Albert Lea home for the last 19 years of my life. Albert Lea provided me with the things that I needed as I grew up, and also gave me many opportunities. When it came time for me to choose a college to attend, I chose to go to the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul. It was quite obvious to me from the beginning that I would have to make a major adjustment from living in Albert Lea all my life to moving to St. Paul.

After I moved to St. Paul, it did not take me long at all to begin noticing how different it was from Albert Lea. Albert Lea is a very nice, respectable city that I loved growing up in. The community was always very welcoming, and I always felt safe here. I knew many of the people and found it to be a comfortable place to grow up in.

However, as I began to grow older, I realized that there were fewer things for my friends and I to do here. Because of this, I was excited for the new experiences and things I would be presented with in a bigger metropolitan area.

Leaving Albert Lea was very scary, too, don’t get me wrong. However, I was excited for a change, and I knew that I would not be leaving Albert Lea forever. The area of St. Paul that St. Catherine’s is in is a very calm, nice residential area, reminding me a lot of Albert Lea.

However, I was introduced to a lot more diversity, and I learned to have a lot more respect for that. One of the first things that I noticed when I started my classes was the large variety of different nationalities represented. This was quite opposite what I was used to seeing in Albert Lea.

There were many places to go and things to see that would not be available in a smaller town. For a female college student, having an assortment of large shopping malls nearby to choose from is a like hitting the jackpot. When my friends and I get hungry, we can usually find whatever it is that we are craving within walking distance of school. A few of my personal favorites are Tea Garden and Chipotle. I have enjoyed the chance to watch college sporting events at the University of Minnesota, as well.

Looking back, I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to be raised in Albert Lea my whole life. It is a great place for me to be able to still come back to and call home. At the same time, Saint Paul has definitely broadened my horizons and made me a more well-rounded person in the process. Both Albert Lea and St. Paul have contributed a lot to my life and they always will.

Emily Bodensteiner attends the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul. She graduated from Albert Lea High School in 2007. Her parents are Dan and Cindy Bodensteiner.