Fall break, we have been dreaming about it for the past month now. After the stress of, what for many of us was our first midterm, coming home was a much anticipated relief. Time has somehow gone by so quickly and yet, it seems like we've been working hard in college forever now. As my fall break wraps up tomorrow, I can't help but reflect on what I noticed coming home for the first time.
1. Your hometown restaurants have never tasted so good
Sure, your college dining hall my have pizza or coffee, but nothing beats those establishments in your town. Walking in and seeing the same smiling faces and the same menu feels like a comforting "welcome home". You know when you go back to school you wont be able to help but compare them.
2. The restaurants are great, but NOTHING is like a home cooked meal
A home cooked meal seems so much more comforting, so much more personal, than waiting in line and hearing "next". Your parents know your favorite meals and how you like them. Sure, you may have been tired of them when you ate hem every single day, but being home for only a week is the perfect amount of time to enjoy those meals again.
3. How excited you are to shower without shoes
To be honest, I hadn't really thought about this much at college. It became my new normal to grab my shower caddy, clothes, towel, and of course, shower shoes. My first night home though, I became excited to shower in my own shower without shoes.
4. How nice it is to watch TV/ listen to music without headphones
It may not be super "exciting" but watching TV with your family on an actual TV instead of on your laptop or phone, is a luxury you didn't know how much you missed. Michael Scott's humor is just better when played out loud.
5. You and your sibling will still fight- but you have a lot more to talk about
Growing up with your sibling, especially if you were close in age, there probably wasn't much to talk about in regards to your lives, simply because you were there to witness it firsthand. Of course when you come home, the normal sibling dynamics resume but you have a lot more to talk about. You both are leading separate lives, but still sibling connection prevails.
6. College applications for your school are due soon
It seems just like yesterday and also like a million years ago that you were sitting at your kitchen table arguing with your mom about how to best fill out your application to this school. Now your seeing prospective tour groups everywhere and hear them asking the same questions that you and your parents asked. It really is crazy how much can change in a year, or even in six months.
7. Your town will always be special - even if you couldn't wait to get out.
I came from a small town and once I hit my teenage years, my friends and I could not wait to get out. I completely adore the new place I am in but it is not the same as the comfort of your hometown. One of the first things I did when I got home was just to drive around with my friends. There is something calming about laughing with your friends, windows down, music playing, driving through the town where you made most of your memories. You are starting to see that maybe you will come back home after college, but you needed to get out to see that.
Besides, knowing you always have your hometown to come back to makes creating new memories (across the country) so much easier.
Now I'm excited to come home for Christmas and see the usual streets decorated in their usual way.
