It’s the beginning of a new semester of college. People who go away to school at the end of the summer tend to miss a lot of different things when they leave home. One of the things that I miss most when I am away at college is my dogs.

My family has two dogs at home, and I really realized this summer how much happiness they bring to my life. Even though when I am home I am woken up at times at the crack of dawn with a wet nose in my face, or lured away from my cozy seat on the couch for a walk, I miss those furry faces when I am away. I miss having a warm puppy on my lap, going on long afternoon walks down the road, opening the door to a tail wagging at super speed, and even someone to share a little bit of my ice cream with.

When I am at college, it literally makes my day when I see a dog on campus. Dogs make me smile, even when I’m having a bad day. I know most college students can relate. Just one pat on a soft head can make my mood ten times better and calm me down if I’m feeling stressed. For all of those dog walkers on college campuses, please do not apologize when your dog jumps on me and licks my face. PLEASE BRING YOUR DOGS ON CAMPUS. PLEASE LET THEM RUN TO ME. Some people are not dog people, but I am definitely not one of them. Now that I am back at college, I miss seeing my dogs every day, but I guess being away from them for so long makes me love them even more when I go home.