Leaving for college can often lead to the onset of some serious homesickness. However, finding close friends and creating your own little friend family at school is the best way to cure homesickness without actually going home. Here’s why I’m beyond thankful I’ve met my “fam”:
1. Someone is probably actually called “Mom” or “Dad.”
And...that would be me. I carry around a Mary Poppins purse, and I’ve been called both “Mom” and “Grandma” on multiple occasions. So what if I always have snacks, tissues, and writing utensils in my purse? They always laugh, but never complain when they need something...
2. You have an entire cheering section for your events.
For my dance concert this past semester, almost my entire friend group showed up! I was so touched to have them all in the audience that day. They gave up their afternoon to sit through most of a concert that I wasn’t in, just to see me in one piece. Now that’s love.
3. You take care of each other.
I actually can’t count the amount of times that the guys in this group have acted as my personal bodyguards. Not that I’m a dependent person by any means, but it’s really nice to go out on the weekend, and not have to worry about walking home alone. Even after just having a bad day, I can still show up at their apartment (unannounced) and get them out of bed to vent. On the opposite note, I do bring them cookies when I start stress-baking so that I don’t stress-eat all of them.
4. There is always someone up for doing something.
It could be commiserating on finals, wanting to go out for dinner, needing a shoulder to cry on, or just someone to be lazy with. It doesn’t even matter if that thing is sitting on Pinterest in the same room and sending each other pins, because we’re too lazy to move our computers. Chances are, someone in the group is in the same mood that I am.
5. The group message is ALWAYS good for a laugh.
Trying to get nine people together for anything is always a nightmare. Our group has a lot of “strong personalities,” and albeit annoying at times (like when two people decide to have a meme war...), our group message is by far one of the most entertaining things I’ve ever read.
6. You have a home.
I’m not in my apartment much, so there have definitely been weeks that I’ve spent the same amount of time at my second home than my own. It feels just like home, though; sometimes I even bring my laundry over because I don’t have a washer/dryer in my apartment (#sorrynotsorry).
Bonus: 1 word: FRIENDSGIVING.
We had a Friendsgiving this year for the first time, and as much as I love my parents and my siblings, our Friendsgiving was the best Thanksgiving food I’d ever had. Maybe it was because we cooked it ourselves (in our tiny college apartment kitchens), or from sharing our own Thanksgiving traditions with one another, but it definitely tasted better (Sorry, Mom).
I wouldn’t survive college without this group of people. We’re just like a dysfunctional family, and just like my family, I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
