I come from a small-ish hometown, so some of these may or may not resonate as well with those of you who come from larger towns.

1. They’re still here?!

Personally, I do my best to avoid the local Wal-Mart when I go back home, because I inevitably run into someone I know, that I may or may not necessarily want to run into. People who have, evidently, never ventured beyond the small town with their living arrangements.

2. Did they get married?

It’s so weird to see people I knew from high school married to each other. In some cases, it's predictable (but still odd), because the picture I have in my head of them is from when times when we still couldn’t even drive.

3. He/she has a child?!

I know, I know, along with the last one, there isn’t good reason to be surprised–everyone is growing up. But as with the last one, it clashes with the picture in my head.

4. Since when was that there?

I swear, every time I’ve gone back to my little hometown, there’s something else new. A Starbucks, an Auto Zone, etc. Not a big deal, but still jarring. Nothing is supposed to change! Ahh! Distress!

5. Mom and Dad’s house is slightly different

Again, change is inevitable, but you notice it more when you leave a place then revisit it later.

6. This place isn’t so bad, after all

I couldn’t wait to get out of my hometown. I felt like nothing ever happened there and that there was no opportunity to go anywhere. But now, there are things I miss. The climate, for one–cool, fresh mountain air, as opposed to the heavy blanket of humidity that Charleston wraps around its residents the moment they step out of the door. I miss the super awesome concerts that would come to Asheville, the neighboring city. I miss the wide back roads with long slow curves that seem to invite you to drive on them. In short, once you leave and come back, in addition to noticing changes, it becomes possible to notice the good things that may have been taken for granted before.

7. OK, how am I going to split my time?

There’s never enough of it. I rarely get more than a week at a time to spend back home, which means that I end up getting stressed out trying to manage my time trying to see everyone I’ve missed and do everything I’ve been wanting to do. And even then, time passes so fast when spending time with people.

8. Why do I feel different?

You won’t be able to put your finger on it completely. But ultimately, you’ll notice that you’ve done your own amount of changing, too.