10 Things You Realize About Going Home To Your Small Town After A Year Of College In The City

1. Cars: I actually have to drive one now.

I was so used to walking everywhere around campus, or if I had to go anywhere, I'd take an Uber, Lyft, or even the subway. The concept of having to drive a car at this point is so foreign to me.

2. Food is not in within walking distance anymore.

If I used to get hungry at 1 am, my roommates and I would get Insomnia, order pizza, or just see if anything is open. Around lunch time, we could walk across the street to the many restaurants, go to any of the dinning halls, walk across campus for other places to eat, or even go into center city. Now, I have to drive 10 minutes for the closest place to eat. This is very depressing for me.

3. "Ok, now I have to actually look appealing when I go somewhere."

At school, if I had to run to the grocery store or something, I'd walk out of my room in sweatpants and a sweatshirt. The only people I was likely to see was another person from class, who was also most likely sporting the same attire as I was. Now, I have to try when I go out. I can see people ranging from: my neighbor, my 4th-grade teacher, my high school guidance counselor, an ex, ya never know.

4. There is that one spot in town that everyone goes to, so you just know you'll run into someone there.

For me, it's an ice cream place down the street from my house called Handles. Everyone (and I really mean everyone) goes here.

5. Since it is a small town, if you see someone, you have to stop and have a 5 minute conversation on how your first year of college went.

Responses range from... "I love Temple so much, I'm so glad I picked it.", "Yes, I met a lot of friends!", "Yes, I still keep in contact with my roommates, they are pretty cool."

6. When there is that one person you see that you have not talked to in forever, and you do not want today to be the day you start again.

Dodge and run, dodge and run, dodge and run.

7. There is absolutely nothing to do.

Conversations go a little like this...

me: mom, I'm bored, want to do something?

mom: we could go see a movie.

me: is there anything else we can do?

mom: ...we can go see a different movie.

8. There is no night life, it is way too quite now.

For a college campus that is in the city, everyone knows that the school never really gets quiet. There are always cars on Broad Street, you can hear the subway, and people are walking around campus. There is just always some type of noise. At home, I get the occasional cricket chirp at night.

9. Comparing your college experiences with the other people that went further away from home becomes a game.

All of a sudden every cool or weird thing you did during your first year at school becomes part of a bragging game.

10. There is at least one thing that you will say you like about your small town.

Though I would 100% say I am not a small town person, at all, I truly did miss the relaxation of the seasons. I always thought my area had a really pretty change of each season because of how much greenery and plants there are. I love when I came back for the summer that everything was so green and colorful. You don't see much of that in a city, though Temple really does try their best with it.