I've been in college for about three months now and it's been a blast. Well, kinda. I've been sick nearly the entire time, which is the worst, and classes are more difficult than I originally thought they would be. Also, making friends isn't as easy as people make it out to be, but it's still fun despite all the bad. I'm thankful for the friends I have because they help make everything easier; I mean they're my family when my family isn't with me.
The best part of it all though is living on your own. I make my own rules and choices and don't have to worry about consequences enforced by anyone else. Trust me, there are still natural consequences. While living on my own is the best, it can be the worst. There have been countless nights that I wish I was at home hanging out with my family while eating the classic dinner: Little Caesars. I miss hearing my mom's laughter 24/7 and my dad's snoring when he's on the couch. I wish I could be there for my little sister and support her when she's marching in the band or kicking butt in karate. I really wish I could be there to talk some sense into my older sister, to be honest. I constantly feel like I'm missing out on so much back in my little small town that sometimes it gets in the way of me enjoying my time in Orlando.
While I'm feeling all the feels of missing home, I remember not to judge the kids I graduated with for going to the university there. Throughout senior year, I questioned why they would choose to stay home and not fly out of the nest to experience college. I was so proud of myself for picking a school so far away. I would never say I regret the choice I made in school, but I literally count down the days until I can make the eight-hour drive home. I've stopped wondering why those other graduates stayed because they probably don't have days they wish they were at home eating dinner with their families and watching TV. It's definitely a tough transition into adult life, and they probably took the easier route. No promise though that what I'm doing is any harder though considering I don't know what's going on their lives. All I know is, if I had stayed I wouldn't be missing out on so much.
Although I do miss my family and wonder if everything would be as hard as it is if I hadn't chosen UCF, I think about how things would be different if I had stayed home. I probably wouldn't be calling my mom every day, and I definitely would be fighting with my little sister constantly. I more than likely would never be home to actually eat dinner or even see my dad. So I guess there are perks of going far away because it has made me feel closer to my family more than ever. It has also made me appreciate my little town in which I spent ten years of my life.
I love Orlando and college, but home is where the heart is.
