On October 22, Manhattan's downtown streets were suddenly filled with joyful faces with red cheeks and noses, coats and scarves, and hugs and laughter. It was Parents Day at NYU. Parents of college freshmen came from all over the country to see their kids for maybe the first time in two months. The weather – 48 degrees, windy, and drizzling – could have definitely been better, but that didn’t stop families from reuniting and having a wonderful time together.

As a student from New Jersey, living in New York is convenient because home is only an hour away. Initially, I couldn’t wait to leave home and be totally *free* in college. On move-in day, after my parents left, I may have jumped up and down a little bit to celebrate my independence. (Sorry, Mom and Dad). I was free!! Well, I went home the next weekend. Clearly, the elated feeling did not last long. I was the last person I expected to get homesick, and yet I was on the verge of tears when I called my mom and asked if I could come home. That weekend was wonderful because it cured my homesickness, but I also realized that not all kids had this luxury of proximity. I had friends from Vancouver, Kentucky, and California, who couldn’t just decide on a whim that they would go home that day. This goes to show that we need to appreciate every moment that we do get with our parents.

It made me really happy to see so many students spending time with their families this weekend instead of going out every night of the weekend. We are now at that level of maturity where we understand that it’s important to make time for family. This is a major transition from high school when the majority of teenagers tried to be as far away from our parents at all times. Whether that meant staying in our rooms or going out with friends for as long as possible, we just didn’t make as much time for family. But now, we secretly want to be kids again. Most of us can agree it was much better when someone was taking care of our laundry, cleaning the bathroom, and giving us fresh food. (Honestly, home cooked meals are so underrated and you don’t realize how amazing they are until you have to eat dining hall food for more than two weeks.)

For the first time, all kids looked genuinely pleased to see their parents. Being on your own in college has its perks for sure, but nothing can compare to the feeling of comfort that the familiarity of our parents brings. That familiarity includes the occasional lecture; however, just talking to your family in person again is fun, even if they do chastise you for some less-than smart decisions. For the international students who couldn’t meet their parents this weekend, you’re stronger than the rest of us for being able to go that long without seeing your families. Even though I could only have lunch with my parents, I can imagine how wonderful it must have been for some students to spend an entire weekend with their families. It really feels like you have a piece of home with you again. Because home is where the heart is.