It wasn't too long ago when I walked into our local Italian bakery, Bommarito's Bakery, on the corner of Avalon and Mack. I was waiting in line when I began looking around at the old building, the isles I used to run down, the corner filled with all different kinds of pops (sodas for those of you not from Michigan) from all over, the lemon ice machine where the old Italian owner used to sit before he passed away, and the display cases filled with baked goods the very kind women who worked there would always give me samples of, my favorite being the world's best chocolate chip cookie. I wasn't sure if it was the smell of the pizza or the subs or the donuts that made me realize that a 5-minute car ride to Bommarito's is no longer something I'm going to be able to do whenever I want.

While going to college is a great and new experience with many opportunities to try different kinds of cuisine, there is something to be said about those places in your hometown that are so special you'll miss them. The 5-minute car rides or the walk down the street have turned into a 10-hour drive that is definitely not a walking distance trip.

Maybe we get too comfortable. We just go to our "usual spots." We have these "usual spots" that we just rely on like a family member. I rely on the Athenian Restaurant for the best gyros, I rely on Uncle Harry's Deli for the best corn beef, and I rely on Sanders for the best bumpy cake ice cream. There really isn't a time when you're not in the mood for your usuals, maybe some time you're going to want to switch it up, but then again you have the hometown usuals when you need them.

Going to a new place can be daunting. Trying to find places to eat that you like, can afford, and can accommodate your diet needs is difficult. You just spent the past 18 years or so finding places you like and now you have to plant new roots. I always know what I get when I get to Nautical Deli. I get the Guido in a gluten-free wrap with a cup of black bean soup. Now I am going to be the one awkwardly staring at the menu for a long time with that sick feeling in my stomach wondering if I got the right thing or not. But that's how you establish those new roots.

If you are like me, you heard stories about that pizza restaurant on the corner of that street your parents used to work in or the donuts in the cafeteria that they would try to stay up all night to be the first in line or the sandwich shop down the street that they have to take you to because it was just that good. It will take time, but it will be worth it. And maybe someday I'll be telling people about how great the tacos were at Taco Mama, and I am going to have to take them there.

So here I am standing in my familiar Italian bakery I love so dearly, just standing in one of my go-to places. Listing everything I need put into one of my care packages when my mom sends it and specifying the pizza and subs she needs to bring down when my family visits me so many miles away. The only way I would ever get the freshman fifteen is when I come home from break because I will be making up for lost time. And those sweet women at the Italian bakery agree with me, the chocolate chip cookies are a definite must when it comes to caring packages and possibly some cannolis when I get back in town.