College is the time when 18-year-old “adults” must leave their homes to begin a life all on their own. You become great friends with roommates and those around you, you go to class and study as if your life depends on it, but through all the fun and the not-so-fun times, you always miss the comfort of your home and your family. But there is nothing better in this world than the feeling you get when you get home and get to indulge in coffee drinking and bath time simultaneously. But college kids miss many more things than just the beauty of a bathtub. Here are a few.
1. The face your dog makes when you walk in the door
Let’s face it, you miss your cat, too, but your presence won’t faze them. But when you see your dog, you immediately sit down on the floor and start petting him or her like you’ve never petted them before. You can’t help it. Their fuzzy faces are all that you need in that moment.
2. The aroma of home-cooked meals lingering through the house
There is nothing better than the smell of something baking in the oven or sizzling on the stove. Eating the delicious meal is great, too, but it’s something about the warmth in the air and the smell of the seasonings that fill the house that you miss while you’re away.
3. The simple family bonding over TV
Fortunately, my roommate and I have the luxury of a television in our room. Indulging in ice cream and Netflix is a regular stress-relieving occurrence. However, there is nothing better than an actual couch and the comfort in knowing that your family surrounds you as you watch “Cops” or “Wipeout.”
4. The endless supply of toilet paper
You don’t realize how much toilet paper you use until you get to college. Back home toilet paper was never anything you personally had to purchase, but now trips to the grocery store are a regular thing, just for small little squares of paper that you plan to flush.
5. The ability to get from one place to another without the bus, a bike or your feet
While the bus was an exciting form of transportation for the first few weeks of college, the bumpy ride has now gone from a wonderful new experience to a burden that you avoid. If a ride to the grocery store presents itself, you take it no matter what your schedule is, just to avoid the sideways ride with many stops and an odd smell. Not to mention, your calves have gotten quite large from walking and riding your bike to all of your destinations. Not that physical activity is a bad thing, but being able to sit still while still moving is a luxury.
6. The closeness of your family
Your mom, dad, brother, sister, grandma, etc. have begun to be regular phone calls. You used to have to pencil time in for calls, but now, halfway through the semester, you realize how much you miss your family. Distance is no match for technology, though, and every day you’re thankful that you have the ability to call them just to hear their voices.
Despite all of the things that I miss, I am so grateful that I feel so at home in college. Everywhere I go, I see smiling, recognizable faces that only come with a tight-knit community. Even though a shower that occasionally goes from comfortably warm to arctic cold when someone turns on the sink isn’t as luxurious as a bubble bath, college and the town it’s in has become home.
