The car was stuffed to the rim, a testament to months of preparation, as we finally began driving. My dad, bless his sentimental heart, was already chuckling to himself about his 'little girl' going off to college. We were on our way to Stanford, a seven-hour drive that felt both impossibly long and far too short.

"You nervous?" Dad asked, glancing at me from the driver's seat.

"Yeah, but I'll be fine. I always am," I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt. Deep down, a knot of anxiety tightened in my stomach. This wasn't just a new school; it was a new life, miles away from the only home I'd ever known. But I'd worked too hard for this, for the scholarship, to let my nerves get the better of me. This was for me.

Half an hour later, the sprawling campus of Stanford emerged, a magnificent blend of old-world charm and vibrant greenery. We navigated to the reception, collected my key, and found my dorm, Room 215, in the freshman hall. It was simple, yet felt like a blank canvas, ready for my new beginning. As my dad helped me unload the last of my boxes, the reality of the distance, the impending goodbye, began to sink in.

"I'm gonna miss you, dad," I confessed, my voice catching.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Ruby," he said, pulling me into a final, tight hug. It was harder than I thought to let him go, to watch him walk out of my dorm room and drive away, leaving me to face this daunting new chapter alone.