In high school, many can’t wait to leave for college and get away from their parents. It’s a natural desire to form your own path and discover the world for yourself without the comforts of home. However, many end up right back at home when it comes time for break. Don’t be disappointed, it’s actually the best choice!

Think about it, you’re only home for a few days, so you do everything you loved and missed while you were away at school. You get your favorite foods from your favorite restaurants. Finally, you can go to that Chinese restaurant and get those dumplings you’ve been craving for months. I bet it tastes so much better after weeks of anticipation.

You catch up with old friends you haven’t seen in what feels like forever. It’s common for most friends to drift apart as they head off to different schools around the country, but spring break is the perfect time to grab coffee and swap stories. For many, these short breaks are the only opportunities to see old friends since many study abroad over the summer or move away for summer internships.

The best part of being home by far is seeing your family just long enough to feel loved and missed. Stay too long, like summer break, and they start yelling at you for typical things like doing the dishes or taking out the trash that frequented your life in high school. They know you’ll be gone in just a few short days, so they really try to make the most of your time together.

It almost feels stranger coming home than it does going back to school where you’ve developed a solid routine and have friends constantly available. People that live close to home may feel differently, but those of us that drive hours in rush hour to get home for a few days see it as a sort of mystical wonderland only encountered a couple times a year.

Home becomes the strange environment instead of college. You spend around 7-8 months per year at school, leaving just 4-5 months to spend at home. Most of this time, you’re studying abroad or going on vacation, so home really does become an infrequent destination.

Sometimes after a crazy semester, you need the comfort of your old habits. You know exactly what to expect, allowing you to unwind and give your mind a break. Home is the medicine everyone should get a prescription for. The next time you find out you’re going home for break, think of it as yet another vacation spot instead of a dull experience.