Hilary Duff Shocked by Hometown Pals  7/1/06

Hilary Duff is thrilled she was able to move to Hollywood and have a successful career, because she feared she might end up like some of her former friends.

The 18-year-old singer/actress relocated from Houston, Texas to Los Angeles with her mother when she was nine-years-old to get her big break in show business.

She explains, "I don't even know what my life would be like (if she hadn't moved)."

Duff recently got a glimpse of her former life when she returned to her hometown to play a concert and she reconnected with old acquaintances.

She adds, "It's scary to see some of them now. They work so hard to be the same as one another.

"They all do the same things and get into trouble because they're bored. I'm so much more my own person now."