1. Your teachers don’t realize that this is a vacation.
Yes, you still have that paper due the day you get back, and you probably have a couple of assignments waiting in your email inbox while you’re sleeping until noon in your own bed. They don’t get a vacation from grading assignments, so we don’t get a vacation from doing those assignments.
2.Your “bffs” are no longer your “bffs.”
You texted and Snapchatted constantly for the first few weeks into college, but now your Snapchat streak is broken and you’ve disappeared from each other’s FaceTime logs. It’s sad, but you’re grateful to have your new friends at college to lean on now.
3. Take-out food really isn’t that delicious.
Yes, your lo mein in that paper box is amazing during a midnight study session. But compared to your mom’s homemade white chicken soup, it’s absolutely revolting. And even your stash of Oreos and peanut butter are irrelevant when you are given some freshly-baked Nestle chocolate chip cookies.
4.Teenage relationships can be quite surprising.
Remember that couple that was together all throughout high school and had half of their wedding planned? They broke up three weeks into the new school year. Yet those two people who were just supposed to be a “summer fling” are happier than ever...
5. People change.
Your head cheerleader now has a drug problem, the church altar server parties five nights a week, and the old high school stoner is currently maintaining a 3.8 GPA. But if it’s working for them, it’s not anyone else’s place to judge!
6. Your siblings really aren’t so bad after all.
While you’ve been away for the last few months, your siblings have suddenly morphed into funny, kind, and enjoyable human beings! And even when they still steal your favorite dessert at Thanksgiving or hog the TV remote, they somehow manage to be much less annoying as they do it!
7. Rules still exist.
Even though I am living by myself in New York City for college, when I’m under the roof of my parents down in Georgia, they are in charge. While curfew may be much more lenient now, I’m certainly not allowed to come home at any hour of the night, and they tend to be a bit more strict than my 21-year-old RA…
8. Your past does not define you.
There’s a good chance that you have changed A LOT since you got to college. So just because you’re back in your hometown for a few days and around people from your past, that does not mean you have to revert back to your “old” self. If you’re happier now, good for you, and remember that it is more beneficial (and less exhausting) to be authentic no matter where you are.
9. You’ve grown up much more than you realized.
You no longer have to rely on your mom to come pick up your laundry or make you a sandwich for lunch. You’ve acquired a lot of new skills and gained quite a bit of independence, so be proud of how much you’ve grown up!
10. You still have a home.
You may not live in your hometown permanently anymore, but it is still your home. No matter how much you love your college, your hometown is your base camp, and it is filled with people that love and miss you every single day. Don’t forget that you’ll always be able to return to the safety and comfort of your home, but also remember how great it is to now have TWO homes!
