There's a huge transition that nobody really talks about, (Probably because it's viewed as boring.) and that is moving back into the house with your parents. I'm not talking about after college graduation when you move all of the college stuff back in the house and don't know when the next time you'll move out is. I'm talking about the in-between semesters type of moving back. It might not be as exciting as living at school, graduation, or life afterward, but living at home has specific quirks that make it both fun as well as trying at times.
1. Driving home can be complicated.
As a student who attends college in a different state than where my parents live, I can tell you so much about the different routes I can travel to get to and from school. The way I usually drive takes me through three different states, and somehow (though I've been a speed demon in all of them) I've only gotten pulled over in one of those states. Thanks, New York, for your love of giving tickets to people with out of state plates when New Yorkers are driving just as fast. A word of advice: regardless of your route, be careful of speed traps.
2. The food at home > The food at college. No contest.
Dining hall food has a horrible reputation, but even after moving off-campus and not eating in the dining halls, I still whole-heartedly believe that a home-cooked meal from Mom and Dad beats anything else. I mean, I was greeted with a large bowl of baked ziti from my Dad soon after getting home, and it was marvelous. Plus, the cabinets are bound to be more stocked with snacks than what you get on your own. Savor the options.
3. You get to see your other friends who went to different colleges.
College is great when it comes to seeing your friends on a daily basis because they're so close-by, but it isn't like hanging out with friends is a college-exclusive activity. Being home means seeing all of the people you loved to hang with before leaving, even if you do have to make plans to see each other instead of just waking up and walking to the living room. Personally, I think not seeing my home-friends for awhile makes everything that much more sweet feeling when we see each other again.
4. Let's go back to work work work work work.
If you're like me, then you you're lucky/unfortunate enough to not have/be able to find a job in your college town. It's nice to concentrate on studies, but we have to make the money necessary to go away in the first place. Home is a different story entirely. The one thing that is incredibly different from working at school though is seeing everyone from your hometown as a customer. I'm talking about the girl you hated since 6th grade, your best friend's mom, your friend group, and even some of your teachers being your customers. And no matter what your opinion of them, you have to be polite to each and every one of them. Let's be honest, sometimes that isn't easy.
5. Family is never perfect, but it's everything.
Living with our families is something we did for 18 years before moving out for college, and for most of us, I assume it was somewhat of a bumpy ride. There's no denying our love for our families, but living with them after not doing so for awhile can cause a little bit of riff raff due to misunderstanding. Between burping out loud, accidentally slamming doors, and cursing, we receive beef from our parents about our "unacceptable" behavior, but we can't fully help it. It's not our fault that we're so used to living in a certain environment with different rules, but the only thing we can do is adjust and compromise to live so that everyone is happy. It's what family does. PS. Thanks, Dad and Johnny for driving up just to pick up some of my stuff and help me move out. I wouldn't have been able to come back without you.
So being home is definitely not the same as being at college, but I'm not sure that's such a bad thing.
