Leaving home for college is a major life experience. Whether you move 15 minutes away or 10 hours away from your family, living on your own is a process that never seems to end. Here at George Washington University, I've found myself adjusting to life away from home fairly easily. I have three other wonderful roommates who I'm always excited to see at the end of a long day. There's a Panera on campus which always aids in making me feel amazing, especially when I find myself ravenous after a morning of classes. But, that's not to say that I don't struggle at times too.
Some nights I'll go back to my dorm and I'll wonder what's for dinner until I realize that I don't have someone to cook homemade meals for me anymore. Ultimately I end up eating cereal or mac and cheese because I'm a lazy college student. Like I said, adjusting to the freedom of college is a never-ending process. It's easy to get caught up in your new found freedom. For the first two weeks, I enjoyed hanging out with my new friends and chilling around the city until this overwhelming sadness hit me. I realized that I seriously missed my friends back home, leading to me crying in the hallway of Thurston while on FaceTime with my best friend. Talking to her I realized that even though I was in a new city, that didn't mean I could cut ties with everyone back home.
Adjusting to life away from home is all about balance. About finding the perfect mix between old and new. For me, the first step was making my dorm feel like home. Armed with unnecessary throw pillows and a fluffy blanket, it was easy for me to find comfort four hours away from my childhood home. While there will always be days where I find myself missing my family and especially my pets, I have never been more excited to spend the next four years in D.C.
