I am willing to admit that I am one of those naive first-time college students who swore that she was only going to bring what she absolutely needed to college with her. I was determined to pack the bare minimum so there would be no chance that I would run out of room for the important stuff - a fridge, my books, etc. Well, when I was actually packing, I learned that my expectations were in no way realistic.

I'm going to school in Milwaukee, WI. My father and I are driving 18 hours to get there, so it actually was important that I packed smart. I carried this attitude up until the moment it was time to pack my clothes. I stuffed my duffle bags full of clothes and I realized that I had plenty of room for more stuff. So I took a good look around my room to make sure I didn't miss anything important, and soon enough, I found myself shoving handfuls of stuffed animals into my bags, along with a fuzzy blanket, three coffee mugs, and a camera. I had to use an entirely separate bag just to pack the books I'm planning to take. And why? When I was packing, I realized that I had to take things that reminded me of my family.

I'm not going to see my family until Christmas. That's the longest I've ever been away from them, and as much as I very openly complain about them, they're so incredibly important to me. My parents and my brother and sister have supported me through extremely difficult times in my life, and I've supported them. Am I rejoicing in the freedom and the new experience that is college? Of course I am, but it's crucial that I take little pieces of my family along with me for the ride.