Sometimes I just want to pack a bag, endure that hour drive and show up at my parent’s doorstep. There is just something about being home that I miss: my parents.

My parents are younger than parents of most people my age. My dad is 45, and my mom is 43, but if you ask her, she’s 29. All of my friends love my parents. I can't tell you how many times I have heard “your parents are so much fun," "you’re lucky to have parents like that" or “I wish my mom and dad were like yours.” Damn straight. Because my parents are the best.

My dad is the playful one. One minute we are sitting there watching TV, the next minute he is throwing something at me, trying to instigate—I love it, my mom does not! My dad and I can make a game out of anything. We used to watch the Detroit Tigers and guess where each batter was going to hit. The loser had to do something dumb like get up and get the other person something to drink.

My dad was, and always will be, my confidant. I could go to him with anything. He always knows when something is wrong, and always tries to fix it. So many times we have sat in the backyard and had a heart-to-heart. Most of the time it resulted in the same advice, “Stevie, sometimes you bite off more than you can chew. You need to find time to get some rest and relax.” He was always worried that I was doing too much, unless it involved softball; his philosophy then was, "you can never get too much softball."

My mom is the crazy one, and I say that in a fun way! She is always game for a good time. She created “Fun Friday.” Every Friday she hangs out with her best friend. They drink a little, or a lot, and play cards. When I lived at home, I even joined in on the fun. My mom always reminds me that no matter how old you are, there’s always time to have some fun! One of my favorite things about my mom is that she can’t hold back her laughter. I do this thing where I talk out of the side of my mouth when I am mocking someone. She hates it! But after she yells at me, she busts out laughing, every time! She used to come home with a carload of groceries and say I have to help put them away. I would drop to the floor like I passed out and she would laugh.

My mom is also “the smartest woman in the world.” She says that often, but she’s right. She knows what’s best for me, and always has the right answer. I’m pretty sure she knows how to fix my life hiccups before I even go to her. I don’t think there is anything that she doesn’t already know or has some knowledge over. She has always been my “go-to.” As a kid, I went to my mom when I was sick. As an adult, I go to my mom when I’m sick. She’s has gotten really good with WebMD! I can always count on her, and I am forever grateful for that.

In this tiny blog, I will never be able to express how amazing my parents are. I hope you get a sense why I miss them though. Their presence is soothing, and needed. I’m away at college and I think it is okay that I miss my parents. I don’t get to see them as much as I would like so it makes me miss them more.

They are the only two people on this Earth that know everything about me. They know about that one time I woke up crying because I had a “nightmare” that no one would ride with me on a rollercoaster, they know that I had chicken pox in my throat because I sucked my thumb, they know that I used to cry in preschool because my dad made my ponytail too tight, they know that I black out when I have a really good hit playing softball, they know it all!