College is one of those awkward times where you are trying to build your own life and yet still returning to your old life back home. You move to a new town, make new friends, try new things, and try your best to figure out who you are. You enjoy it, live your life, but sometimes you start to miss home.

You might miss spending Friday nights under the lights with all your friends, cheering on the boys of fall. You might miss getting coffee with the girls before you go shopping at the nearby mall. You might miss just being able to have coffee with your parents on a Saturday morning, going to church on Sunday and running into all of your friends. You might miss cuddling with your dog and playing fetch with him in the yard.

You miss home, and that’s OK.

It’s OK to feel homesick. It means that you still feel like you have a home, a place to go back to, a place that lets you feel calm and gives you clarity.

And when you do feel homesick, call home. Call your mom and talk to her. Tell her you miss her and that you want to come home. Take time off work and go home when you can. FaceTime your parents so you can see the dog. And when you do go home, say hi to your friends, spend time having coffee and breakfast with your parents, spend time with your siblings.

Go home because pretty soon, you will be too busy to go home. You’ll have schoolwork, a job, friends, maybe you’ll be in a relationship, and you’ll be starting your own life. Soon, you’ll only be going home for the holidays, only calling once in a while because you’ll be so busy. Soon, you’ll be building or buying your own home, having your own family, and you’ll have a new sense of home.

When you miss home, go home. Spend time with family when you can before your life gets to be too busy and don’t get to. Trust me, I miss home, and I wish I spent more time at home than I do.