Almost every school year prior to college, I remember always dreading the final days of summer vacation in which I knew school was right around the corner. The only highlight was school shopping because for some reason I really enjoy it, but the thought of losing the ability to relax and be stress free would plague me during that last week of summer.

Now, I still have about a month of summer vacation left and I am eagerly awaiting the day that I can move back up to school. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love being home and having the ability to spend much needed time with my family and old friends. But just as I miss home while I'm away at school, I miss my second home at college equally as much during summer (especially now that all of my friends on the semester system have left for college already).

Now that I already know what to expect of the college lifestyle, I am even more enthusiastic to return because I know I don't have to go through the awkward freshman period of adjusting to new people and college classes. This year, I know the beautiful campus, I know how to study, I know my roommates, I know all of the great places around to eat and shop, and I can skip the first month or so of having to adapt to enjoy myself and catch up with people.

I miss having the constant availability of fun things to do like I do while I am at school. Don't get me wrong, at home, there are definitely fun activities to do, but they often require driving (usually in traffic) and that tends to be a deterrent; especially when you share a car with your siblings. On campus, it is constantly buzzing with opportunities to try new things and meet new people; and since we do live in a college town, everything is so close together, so I don't feel like the only form of accessible entertainment around is Netflix and subsequently, waste my day binge watching.

I can't wait to not have to work my butt off with two summer jobs, to be reunited with all of the friends I made this year, to live right next door from them and to have more independence again -- a.k.a., being able to eat whatever I want and sleep whenever I want without any remarks.

I am so excited to be learning things in classes that I actually want to take and find interesting. And I'm equally excited to go school supply shopping and shopping for my new room.

I am really looking forward to spending a year with new roommates while reconnecting with the old ones. I am excited for all of the intense sports games, getting to see all of my sorority sisters and being able to have more of a social life since everyone I live within a two mile radius of all of my friends.

Basically, I am overjoyed to go back to school because it truly has become a second home to me. I am truly happy there and cannot wait for all of the opportunities, both academically and socially, that are to come.