I've never thought of myself or been described as a "homebody." Homebodies are formally defined as "people who like to stay at home, especially those who are perceived as unadventurous." This definition brings a negative connotation to the word. No one desires to be unadventurous in life. But after my first year of college I realized how much my heart belongs to my home, and decided to embrace the homebody aspect of my character.

My personal definition of "home," is where my family is, where I can return back to familiarity and the people I love. It is not simply where I am from, or a permanent place I reside. Throughout my high school years, I was always planning, always out and about doing something, never being able to sit at home doing nothing for more than a couple hours. I'm just the type of person that cannot rest until there is a plan. My parents were always at unease about my constant absence, missing me and always wanting me home to spend time with them. Especially in comparison to my sister, I was always the one adventuring out, excited to leave home, while she is perfectly comfortable spending her days around our house. At first thought homebodies are considered to be quiet, shy people that don't go out much. When I came to college my personality didn't change; I was still always planning, excited for the next new thing to discover in college. I looked forward to every weekend as opportunities to create new memories with my new friends. I love being away at school and able to do my own thing.

Now it's the end of my freshman year, and I'm packing up my entire dorm room to move back home for a few short months, only to have to pack it all up again and return in the fall. My friends and I of course are sentimental wrecks about leaving one of our favorite places on Earth, unsure of what we are going to do with ourselves all summer. I, for one, am ecstatic to go home. It's been such a long time since I've been able to spend quality time with my family, without a quick return date to school looming over my head or the busyness of the holiday season getting in the way. As much as I love college, I truly miss the classic family dinners spent with my family, movie nights out, or just lounging around the house all day together. I love to be spontaneous, and I have really missed the random family outings or trips to our lake house whenever we feel like it. The few times this semester when I've just missed home too much I had to take a quick trip home, if only for a night, definitely have not sufficed my longing for home.

I love school so much and I will miss my friends here more than anything this summer, but I will be happy to be home for a relaxing, long three months. I don't have a doubt in my mind that I will be so ready to return back to school sooner than I anticipate this summer, because the all of the people I love there have made it a second home for me. I'm proud to be a homebody and more than thankful I have so many amazing people in my life that have made the different places special to me places I can call home.