Speeding down Highway 316 to the Milledge Avenue exit on move-in day, it is an understatement to say that I was eager to start my new life. I was ready to move out of my parents' house and to live in my own space. I could finally do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, with whomever I wanted and there was no one to tell me otherwise. My parents helped to lug my futon up the cramped staircase, surveyed the room, hugged me goodbye, and there I was, finally free.

Free and homesick.

Coming into college, I told my parents to never expect me to visit during the semester; it was not because of anything they had done, but because I would be too busy enjoying college and hanging out with my friends. It surprised me that after one month deep into football, tailgating, and schoolwork, all I wanted to do was spend a couple of nights sitting on the couch watching a movie with my family.

During my first semester, college life was like another universe. It was an escape from the rules that I had lived under for eighteen years, and the longer I went not living there, the less and less it truly felt like a place I had lived in. With only a month left of second semester, however, home has become an escape from the hassle of college life; it's a chance to have someone else do my laundry and cook warm healthy meals. It's a chance to escape the general stress that accompanies adulthood.

This weekend, I had the opportunity to drive down and spend the first weekend of my family's spring break with them in Florida. After only two days of laying on the beach and enjoying their company, I made the long trek back to Athens, not missing the white sand or the clear water, but missing my family. Knowing that I would not get to see them again until the summer made the drive back harder than I had anticipated.

Upon my arrival back to the dorms, I got many compliments on my tan and lots of questions about my trip, but I still had pangs of homesickness that depressed my mood. My spirits, however, were lifted by my arrival to my room, where my roommate greeted me with a big hug.

No one really mentions the dark underbelly of college; on the surface, it's one huge party where kids are let loose and free to be who they were meant to be. While this is somewhat true, not every day is as bright as Instagram may depict. It's hard being away from loved ones, and it can be easy to drown in the sadness of leaving them, but I appreciate the fact that UGA has taught me to value my family in a way I never really could before college. Being away from those you love most is one of the hardest things I've encountered in my college journey, but knowing that they love me and are supportive of my goals keeps me going. I can safely say that my path to success will culminate in the completion of my finals, and a summer spent with my family will be my reward. In the meantime, it's time to enjoy the last few weeks of freshmen year and to make it to the finish line, cherishing the people I've befriended and the memories I have made. Go Dawgs.