College is wonderful. I have great new friends, fantastic classes, and so more independence than I know what to do with. All the newness is so blissfully distracting, but the other day, I met a puppy. The puppy's name is Scout, and she belongs to a staff member in my dorm. After Scout, I started noticing dogs all around campus. Nothing is as wonderful and sad as seeing other people's dogs when yours are two hours away.
I know it sounds pathetic, but it's been ridiculously difficult to be apart from my dogs. Dogs are like therapy for me. I have two puppies, a melancholy beagle/german shepherd, and an overeager Shitzu puppy. They're super annoying sometimes, but they love abundantly and unconditionally, as all dogs do. Being without them has taught me a bit about missing things.
1. You'll start to miss the little things about the big things.
I miss my pups chasing each other around the yard. I miss their little paw prints tracking water from their bowls. I miss them howling at sirens and nuzzling me when I'm feeling down. I knew I would miss things when I left, I just never considered that I could miss the moments and memories about the things.
2. Missing stuff makes me love the new stuff more.
I've started to put value in new things. Settling into a couch with my friends to watch a movie means more. It's no more cuddling up with my dogs and parents. I don't have little dogs following my ankles around in the morning. I get up before my roommate, make coffee quietly, and head out. There's a simple peace in my mornings that I've come to appreciate.
3. Missing things is OK.
I miss my dogs. I miss my parents. I miss my brother. I miss my bed, my town, familiarity, everything. But missing things has made me love the things around me so much. My new bed is tiny, and I love it. It's become a place for the people I love to sit when they want to talk, eat, or nap. I have to walk everywhere now, and I love it. My calves are starting to look pretty good. My dogs aren't here, and that's ok. There's a million and one dogs here to cuddle and love in the mean time.
I go home on Saturday, and though I can't wait to see my dogs and family, I think I'll miss this place a lot, even if I'm only gone for a weekend. This place is my favorite home. This place has my people. So missing things is OK, but there's new things to love, things that I'll miss someday.
