When you go to school out of state there are some things about being home that we all know to be true. I've lived in Wisconsin for school for three years now and while I love the independence of living so far away from my hometown in Missouri, coming home is always something I look forward to.
1. Home cooked meals.
Perhaps the most popular reason for college students to come home. Whether you live on campus and are subjected to the horrors of dining hall food or you live off campus and survive on ramen noodles and frozen TV dinners, we can all agree that first home cooked meal is glorious!
2. Free food.
Keeping with the food theme for a moment here it's always nice to put your cash away for a weekend or a week and still have a fully stocked fridge and some paid for take out nights.
3. Pets!
The first thing I do when I walked through the door of my house is chase after one of my three cats while hollering, "My baby! Did you miss me?!" They usually didn't. But it's still nice to see our favorite animals in the world!
4. Sleeping in your own bed.
This one doesn't really ring true for me anymore, I live in apartment off campus so I have my own bed. But I remember coming home with an aching back from a crappy university provided mattress with the joy of knowing I had a soft familiar bed to curl into there. And for those of us who do have our own beds at school, our childhood room is always a comfortable place to be!
5. Hitting up your favorite local places.
From hole in the wall diners to semi-chain restaurants nothing hits the spot like our favorite home town restaurant. (And if you're like me and you're from St. Louis, there's nothing like proving all your college friends wrong-- See! Saint Louis Bread Co. for life!)
6. Free Laundry.
On or off campus you've always got a jar full of quarters at the ready to do your laundry. But coming home means bringing everything you've worn in the last month to utilize that change free washer!
7. Cable TV.
For most of us Netflix has become the norm when discussing TV and it's great and all but sometimes settling down to a show that's airing for the first time that night is an exciting feeling we've forgotten. It's nice to have cable sometimes.
8. A Real Bathroom.
If you live on campus, it's really great to come home to a place where you can shut the door and take a shower without knowing there's a person two feet away from you in the next stall over. You can sing in the shower, listen to whatever music you want without pissing anyone off, and take your time! OK, well not always; siblings can be pushy.
9. Visiting old friends.
We all love our college friends, but getting together with high school friends or lifelong childhood friends is the best! Reminiscing, filling each other in, and seeing each in person for the first time in months is always fun.
10. Enjoying a more relaxed environment.
College is fast pace. From sporting events to club meetings to theatre events to academics-- sometimes it's nice to come home and relax.
11. Being with your Family.
The best part of coming home? Being with your whole family!
No matter how old we get, there are just some things that we never get tired of at home. Go home when you can and enjoy every second, even time with your pushy siblings, because it's the little things in life that make it all worthwhile.
