The concept of moving out of your home, away from your friends and leaving the only place you ever truly knew is the strangest thing. For me, I left the only house I had ever lived in, the friends I had known since preschool, the most supportive and incredible parents and the only town I thought I would ever be able to call home.
Packing up my car and saying all of my goodbyes torn my heart apart a little bit. Once I got to school and figured things out for myself, things quickly got easier. My small dorm room became what I called home. I made new friends, and my parents were only a few hours and a phone call away. I remember coming home for the first time during fall break, and it was crazy weird. I didn't know what to do. I felt as if I had already changed and that this town had nothing for me anymore. When I moved home for Christmas, nostalgia sat in the pit of my stomach for the entire month. Now, I'm back and will be for a while, and it feels even more bizarre than moving away to an entirely new city.
I love my hometown. All throughout high school, I claimed that I couldn't wait to get out. When I did, I fell completely in love with a new city. Now, of course I love school and I'm so content with my life there, but home is pretty great too. Looking back on my life during high school, I did not take the time to appreciate where I was and every little thing I did in this pretty cool town. My entire senior year was a countdown to "bigger and better," things but in reality, life was great and I can't believe I tried to wish it away. It has only been a few days since I moved back, and I can't believe all the people I have already seen that I hadn't in almost a year. Everyone asks the ritual question, "How was college?" and we all respond, "It is so great!" But what does that really tell us? In all honesty, there is no way for someone to describe their life for an entire year. You reach that realization that you missed out of that person's entire past year. How crazy is that!
I can't believe how quickly one year traveled by, and how much everyone has changed, yet, how a lot of things haven't changed. It's so cool to me that you can come back to a place that feels so foreign, briefly catch up with old friends and suddenly it's all so normal again.
It's hard to leave home and move to a totally new environment, but it's weird to move back and realize that life has still been going on at full speed while you were gone. When you come home, new roads will might exist, maybe there's a random Walmart on your street, or your high school might have a Snapchat filter. It's likely that some people grew up, maybe moved on or perhaps even forgotten about you. You come home, yet feel like a visitor driving through through the town you and your friends used to run. Everything reminds you of old times. Sometimes it's great, and sometimes it chokes you up a bit. This is all a part of life -- part of adulthood -- part of moving on.
Don't wish away your childhood and high school years. Don't rush any part of your life, because one day you'll burst into tears at all of those rear-view memories. The day will come when your best friends are more like strangers, your room is nothing but boxes, and your favorite hang out spots belong to someone else. As much as things change in a year, your home is a home for a reason. Doors are always unlocked and your parents will always welcome you back in. Your home will always have a huge part of your heart. You'll always be a part of those streets. No matter where you go in life, you will always have a home. Enjoy the time you have while living there, and don't ever feel like it's not yours anymore.
