At the start of this past school year, I wasn't sure what exactly to expect. I was more or less the same person all throughout high school with the exception of maturing and some changes to how I dressed myself. After graduation, I felt the same mix of cheekiness and nerves that I'd be willing to bet most people in that age group would feel.

Academics-wise, the school year was stressful, but that was pretty much to be expected. What I didn't anticipate was how much I would learn about myself and just how much freedom I had to work with. Sure, I had a hard time adjusting to living away from home, but it was like loading a new save file on a video game; there was no dress code, no set of expectations, etc.

Now that I am on the opposite side of the school year and have returned home for the summer, I find myself having a hard time getting used to my old/new reality. It's not that my personality has changed besides with things I wrote about earlier this year, but rather how I express myself to the world. It's as if I learned how to sing in college but returned home to a library atmosphere.

However, this isn't to say that what I'm used to at home will always remain the same.

I may be an adult now and I may be a bit different than how I was when I was younger, but I'm still the same person. The summer is still young and I have the time to catch up with my beloved hometown. I'm willing to bet we'll learn more about each other and maybe find we do have something in common after all.