Before you left for college, chances are your high school self took a lot of things at home for granted. You will not completely understand the importance of your own bed until stuck with a twin bed in the dorms. You will not realize how much you depended on your parents until you accidentally shrink your favorite sweater in the dryer while doing laundry. You will not recognize how proud you are of your hometown until you leave it. As much as you love college, there are definite reasons for getting homesick.
Your bed. This is secretly what you miss the most. Your bed at home has a certain level of comfort that your room at college does not. You have been sleeping in this bed for years, and it basically molds to your body, not to mention, it is the perfect amount of soft. If you are dealing with a twin bed in college, your queen bed at home all of a sudden feels king-sized. It is no surprise that you have your best nights of sleep when you are visiting home.
That one restaurant. You know what I am talking about. You have that one restaurant you are obsessed with that is only in your hometown. It might be the small sandwich shop that personally knows your name and your usual order, or it could be the fast food place that is specific to your area. Whatever it is, your inner foodie feels the pain of being separated from your favorite restaurant.
Your dog. No one can quite compare to the love your dog shows you when you come home. Chances are you spend a lot more quality time with your dog at home than you'd like to admit. This quality time probably includes snuggling, petting, and talking to your dog like it's human. Nothing is more therapeutic than hanging out with your dog after a stressful day at school. If your withdrawal from seeing your pet get too real, don't worry. Most colleges have therapy dogs that are available to play with during finals week.
High school friends. You have made some of your best friends at college. Together, you have survived rush, dorm food, and college parties. However, there comes a time in the school year when you miss your friends from home more than ever. Your friends from high school stood by your side even during your awkward stage, and that is true friendship.
Your parents. Like most high school graduates, you probably spent all summer anxiously waiting to leave for college. You could not wait to make decisions without needing the approval of your parents. This independence, however, is what made you miss your parents the most. All of a sudden, Sunday family dinners sound a lot more appealing than dorm food. Homemade meals at college become a rarity and a treasure. Being able to eat your favorite meal at home is not the only thing you miss about your parents. Now, when you go home you appreciate the small things they do for you, even if it is simply offering to do your laundry or making you breakfast. The random acts of kindness they did for you all through high school no longer go unnoticed.
