We all go through changes in our lives. It is impossible to fully live and reach your goals without phasing in and out of different stages as we age. High school, college, the real world; it all seems planned out for us, and, oftentimes, we feel very unprepared. Being thrust into a new experience can be terrifying, but through all the craziness and high stress of college, it is calming to know there is an oasis away from it all. Home. Just a coffee and a car ride will have you cuddling with your dog and sleeping in your own queen-sized bed that hasn’t been previously used by total strangers.
While a hometown weekend getaway is refreshing and well needed, it is short-lived, and we are forced back into our hectic college bubble. In this bubble, it is easy to forget that our parents’ worlds keep spinning and changing without us. Believe it or not, our parents are still evolving and changing in their lives too. As much as we would like to keep everything back home frozen in time, we are unable to avoid our little puppies becoming 70 pound beasts.
My hometown oasis was recently turned upside down when my mom was offered an incredible job in Georgia. This exciting opportunity couldn’t have arrived at a better time for our family. With both kids in college, and planning on staying at our universities for summer classes, it was an opportunity she couldn’t refuse. Needless to say, I experienced a variety of mixed emotions, but most of all, I was scared. The thought of my parents no longer being in the place I’ve called home for 20 years is daunting. I’ve always had this idea in my head that in when I finally found a boy worthy enough to come home to meet my family and see my hometown, I would be able to take him on a tour of my long-ago high school self. From the fashion magazine clippings that covered my wall behind my bed, to the polaroid pictures from an eye-opening mission trip, he would see a new aspect of me that I am unable to translate into my tiny, shared dorm room. Maybe this is just a pipe dream stemmed from watching too many rom-coms, but with my parents moving nine hours away, it is no longer realistic.
As I continued to process this news, I realized something crucial; you can have more than one home. Gastonia will always be a home for me. It’s where I grew up and is a huge part of my family and who I am today. The wonderful thing is, when you live somewhere for 20 years, you make lifelong friends. The kinds of friends whose parents are like your parents and always have an open bed for you. That’s home. NC State is where I’ve found a major I love and a sorority full of incredible women I am lucky to call my sisters. That’s home. Nothing can beat the feeling you get walking into your house after a long week, and that goes wherever my parents go. I always look forward to a bear hug from my dad, a peck on the cheek from my mom, and a slobbery kiss from my dog. That’s home.
That second story room with the big windows that I loved so much may not be mine anymore, but when I finally find that boy to bring home, I won’t need it to tell him who I am. I have my parents for that. They might tell a few too many embarrassing stories, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
