I having been going to overnight camps since I was able to walk. The longest I went to a camp was over six weeks. I was only 109 miles away compared to 250. My first week at Culver Military Camp was amazing! I was making new friends and making crazy memories. The second week rolled around and that’s when I was starting to hate camp. I was wanting to go home. I remember hating the marching, the drills, and the upperclassmen yelling at me over the dumbest and most random things. I called my dad crying telling him to come and get me. The third week came and I started to love it again. Three years later, I graduated from Culver.

At school, I am hoping I will get that “wow” factor. I love this school and I don’t want to leave. I haven’t gotten that “wow” moment yet. Don’t get me wrong, I love going to school and I’ve been making amazing friends and making a few enemies. I don’t mind if someone doesn’t like me. Any place that you may go, not everyone is going to like you. It’s hard for me to try and make new friends and that, itself, is okay too.

Since I’ve been to college, I’ve only been home one time and my parents have only been here one time for Family Day. When I went home with one of my friends from school, I was the happiest person alive. I wanted to be able to sleep in my own bed, see my animals, see my family and friends. I had the best time being home just sleeping in and being with my family, it was all I needed. The first day of school after I came back the only thing I was thinking was that I wanted to go home again. I was feeling very stressed and anxious for no apparent reason. I was ready to leave, go, and just stay home. I question myself and wonder if I should have stayed home for college. In high school, I knew I wanted to get away from Indiana. That was my main concern on finding a college. I wanted a school where I was close enough to come home when I really needed my family but far away where I didn’t have to come back every week.

Living 250 miles away from my best friends is the reason I am feeling homesick. I see some of my friends hanging out together on Snapchat and I think what would I be doing right now with them? My best friend in the whole world has been so busy working and making money that she doesn’t always have time to call me. So that makes me want to go home whenever I can just to see her. I miss spending time with my true friends.

I never thought I would be homesick because I have never really felt like this before. I miss my family, friends, and animals. I wanted to be far from home before I left and now I’m regretting that decision and I want to be close again. I would never admit it to my parents about being homesick. I know my family and I know that other people think the same. Being homesick is a part of college. College is where you have to find out who you are going to be in the future. I wish I knew I would feel this way before I left for college. I know one day I will be okay. I am grateful I have a few friends here I can trust and go to when I need someone, and that makes my time just a little bit better.