I'll Be The First To Admit It, I Miss College—Just Not The 8AM's, Exams, Or Lack Of Quality Food

I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college.I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I miss college. I MISS COLLEGE.

I didn't just repeat that 25 times to reach a word count... okay just kidding, I added the last six for the word count, but those six extra " I miss college's" added a lot to this article because I miss college to a point of self-suffocation.

I guess I should clarify-- I miss the fun parts of college. Not the 8 AM's or the exams, the studying or the constant deprivation of sleep and quality meals. No, I miss the best parts of college, the kind that makes the time (even the 8 AM's and the exams) go by in the blink of an eye.

You see, it feels like just last week I moved into my dorm and watched my parents drive out of the parking lot, a tear surfacing in my eyes. I remember how it felt to fall asleep the first time in my room. It was different. There's no better word to explain it other than that-- different.

I didn't know it that first night, but my life was forever changed.

College was (is) nothing but fun. People were always in and out of my room. My friends and I in the dorm made cookies and watched way too much American Horror Story on the weekdays. We laughed so much we cried and once we declared we were incapable of completing our homework, we finished the night with wine and coloring books.

When the weekends (starting on Thursday) rolled around, I probably worried my parents with my whereabouts late at night, but I was just out, having a blast with my friends. Our bonds grew as the nights got later, and we would sing Beyoncé the entire walk back to our dorm, pizza in hand.

Looking back, I'm surprised I didn't end up on my deathbed from the sleepless nights and early mornings, along with the lack of nutrition in my diet.

There was never a dull moment while I was in college. I never found myself sitting on my bed, bored out of my mind. College was unpredictable. It was so different.

So, when my first week home rolled around, I thought, "Man, what a major buzzkill this is. I miss college." Because after the greatest and most exciting year of my life, how was I going to survive a predictable summer back home?

But even though I miss the excitement of college more than I ever thought possible, it does feel good to be home.

It feels good to wake up in the room I grew up in, walk out my door and see my dad sipping coffee on the porch while my mom reads in the chair across the hall, her glasses on the tip of her nose, with my dog laying on his grey orthopedic cushion. (Yes, my mom started obsessing over our family dog when she ended up with an empty nest.)

It feels good to walk around town and recognize people, and maybe even make eye contact or strike up a conversation with them. Reminiscing with my two best friends and falling asleep on my old living room couch makes me feel like I never left.

It feels good to reconnect with the girls I spent every weekend with in middle school and get to know the guys I always considered my friends but wished I was closer with. After graduation, we all went in separate directions, some stayed in town, others moved out of state.

I found comfort in knowing I would always have a bond with these people because no matter where we all have gone in the past year or where we will go in the upcoming year, we will all have a similar background in common. Although it's not the wild scene I was used to back at school, I found a grown up and simplistic version of fun in hanging out with the people I grew up with.

Now, after a few weeks home, I've decided to take a step back and enjoy my time at home, because someday I'll miss home the same way I miss college now.