As the final droplet of ink poured out onto my last final examination, I was liberated from a most gruesome and tedious semester of school. The only items left on my checklist were to finish packing and to board my flight home to Denver, Colorado. It had been an entire year since I had been able to spend an extended period of time at home, and I was ecstatic. I packed my bag up in a blur and somehow managed to catch my bus to the airport right on time. I was home free.
Upon arriving at the airport I was welcomed by old friends and family, and just then the weight sunk into me of just how long I had been gone. My younger brother Johnny was now taller than me, and all my old friends exhibited signs of aging. But despite the physical signs of change, not much was different in my hometown. There may have been a new Qdoba down the street, and new cars in the driveway, but the spirit of Lakewood was still the same. My mother even upgraded the interior of our house, but despite the change, I felt cozier than ever.
Up at school I miss many of the simple luxuries of home. My mother had kindly stocked the fridge with galloons of orange juice anticipating my arrival. And the house had so many decorations that there were even Christmas trees in the bathroom. My apartment at school has the basic pantry items and amenities and that is about it—I still need to buy a toaster! In my short time being home, I have already reverted back into my old childhood habits—drinking orange juice by the galloon, and sleeping on the living room sofa instead of my bed. But it really is the small things in life that really matter.
Whether it is the people that make the place or the place itself, there is no place like home. All the familiar shops and friendly faces just make me smile. Even though the world seems to turn upside down over the course of each college semester, home is still home. The elderly women down the street still swipes my card for the recreation center, chick fil a is still just up the way, and my comfy spot on the couch is still rightfully mine. It is reassuring to come back home, despite the change in time, and return to the very moments and memories that seemed to be no more. I really did miss home, and even though Los Angeles is my new home, there is no place more comforting than the one I grew up in.
