As a student attending college I always thought that going home would be a frequent occurrence—that while away at school I would wish to go back and visit my friends and family. While I still do want to go back to see them, going home while in college is completely different than what I had originally thought. As the year comes to a close, it's time for students to go home for three months. Some will go home to the friends who they left behind in high school. Others will go home and see friends who, just like them, are returning home for the summer.
In college coming home for a night, weekend or week is a blessing. Home cooked meals have never tasted better. Stories from friends at home remind you of both why you left home, and why you came back. The camaraderie between old friends is rekindled and grows even more. Reconnecting with family after several months is a must. They will ask about your first year and if you are excited to be home. You will go back to work and wait until next semester comes. You will enjoy the months of relaxation and reconnecting. The calendar on your wall will count down the days until you can see the friends you've made away from home again.
The friends you have made while away at your respective college will be the friends who get you through those four years. Going home means waiting months until you can see them again. A far cry from the every day lunch breaks, and the nights you've decided to forget (or have already forgotten). The family you have at home is different from your family at school. Neither is bad, but the memories and love that you share is different.
Returning home is both a blessing and a curse. The time you spend at home will rejuvenate you and strengthen your ties with family. You will see your high school friends, and possibly reconnect with someone you love or were in love with. You will probably find that going home isn't all that it's cracked up to be. That doesn't mean going home is a bad thing.
So as the semester ends, mark your calendar for the day where you will return to school. It will come quickly, just as this year has passed quickly. See your friends at home and meet with friends from school. Without those relationships, you will find going home is not as fun.
