Coming home from college after my freshman year has been interesting. I have been home for about two weeks, and I have come to recognize that parents are the most underrated, under-appreciated people -- or at least they have been to me.

Being away from my parents for the past months has made me value them so much more -- not as parents, but as friends. Whether you like it or not, your parents have life experience. They've been in your shoes. They've taken Chemistry, Orgo and Calc II and survived. They've pulled all-nighters. They've had crushes, and they've had their hearts broken. And I've come to realize that instead of pretending I know more than they do or that I don't need any advice from anyone, it is better to ask my parents. They don't judge, and they are practically hardwired to love you despite your mistakes -- no matter what.

College matures you because you are forced to be independent. With this maturity comes an appreciation for the things that your parents used to do for you. Whether that is the basic chores like doing your laundry or cleaning your bathroom, making you eggs for breakfast, or going grocery shopping; whether your parents edited your paper for mistakes or explained the basic economics concepts that you didn't understand, they were always there to help. And being on your own in college allows you to remember the times that you were in a bind and your parents supported you in any number of ways.

The best part about coming back home after college is discovering the new people that your parents have become. After I left for college, my parents became empty-nesters -- no children in the house for the first time in 18 years. I wasn't sure how they were going to react, how they were going to live without having to take care of my brother and I. Little did I know that my parents would become outgoing, borderline crazy people. Their social lives flourished, and they were able to engage in and explore things that interested them. I'm not saying that they didn't love raising their children, but I like that they're able to find life outside of family as well.

When I left in the fall, I knew that my parents were going to miss me -- it could have been my mother's tears, or it could have been my father's sad text from the airport. But what I didn't expect was how much I was going to miss them. Soak up the summertime and hang out with your friends, but don't forget to give your parents a hug every now and again -- they deserve it.