This past weekend a majority of my friends went home due to the long weekend for Veterans Day. Most of them live in the Boston area so for them, getting home is a pretty easy task. In fact, for all of them, it was their second or third trip home so far this semester.

Now it’s not like I live super far away, but Connecticut is a three-hour drive (sometimes a lot more depending on traffic) and getting home isn’t the most convenient thing to achieve, so I’m stuck in this long-distance relationship with…. my town.

The first couple months of college have been hard because, well, I do miss home. I miss my friends and I wish I could’ve gone home all the times they did so we could have caught up and hung out. I still keep in touch with my friends and family but phone calls and snapchats just aren’t the same as hanging out in person.

Part of me wishes I went home for Columbus Day or Veterans Day but at the same time I am happy that I didn’t.

Since I haven’t made the journey home yet, a bunch of my friends and family have come to visit me! Which is really cool because I get the opportunity to show them around campus, go to my favorite places to eat, and introduce them to my new college friends.

And although I miss all traditions I had at home with these people, like eating ice cream on the beach and dumpling dates, it is a fun way to start new traditions and make new memories.

As Thanksgiving approaches I am getting really excited to FINALLY be back in my house and see everyone (and my dog of course). Being away for so long helped me realize how much I love my town and how much I appreciate my friends and family there.

It also made me realize that I can survive without them and become my own independent person with a whole new life, so I am also thankful for this school, the opportunities and the people I met.

I’m glad this is the first time going home, even if it isn’t a long break because being away has made me grow as a person and appreciate my past so much more which makes me even more excited for the journey home.