The school year is almost over. Congratulations, you've made it. For most people, this is a time of celebration, a time when people start to pack their bags and bring some extra items home. There is much rejoicing, as the end of the school year means the end of homework, professors, and late nights spent studying. It's time for us to go home, to move back into our old rooms and have our parents there to watch over us again. For some though, like myself, this process can be heartbreaking.
Don't get me wrong, I love my family. They are the most important thing in the world to me and I don't know what I'd do without them. I'm not ready to go home, though. I'm what you'd call a very independent Freshman college student. I've gone home less than ten times this year and there were entire weeks I'd go without having a proper conversation with my family. Looking back on this now, I feel a little guilty. I should spend more time with my family, but I'm having a very hard time giving up something I've just so recently found: my adulthood.
I have met many people, some of whom I am close friends with, who refer to themselves as home-bodies. They would do anything to spend the weekend at home with their family. Once again, I love my family. I really, really do, but I never felt the desire to return to the way things used to be. It's not that I don't miss my family, it's that I feel at home in my freedom. Going home means returning to being a kid because even though I may be 18, my parents are always going to see me as their baby and I am always going to see them as my parents. I'm always going to follow their rules and because of this, sometimes the things I want get pushed aside. This isn't their fault and it isn't mine. It's part of the process of growing up and changing as people.
I'm am looking forward to seeing my family and spending time with them. I'm sure we're going to have a lot to talk a about. Slipping back into a routine I haven't been in since high school is going to be hard, but it's going to be worth it. I know in just a few short years my time living at home will have run out and I'll truly be out on my own. I'm going to miss college and everything is has to offer: ice cream for breakfast, napping at noon, hanging out with friends until midnight every night. It was fun while it lasted and I know I'll get to do all of these things again in a few months, but for right now, it's time to go back to being a kid.
