No words can describe all the feels when you realize you're a month away from college. A glance at my calendar the other day startled me. How can I possibly be only four short weeks away from leaving home and a much realer world? On one hand, I'm ecstatic. I mean, come on. I'll be (partially) on my own to make my own decisions. On the other hand, ouch; being away from my parents and my family? That stings a little. I figured I'd make a list of pros and cons for the countdown to moving to college, just in case any of you are in the same predicament.
It's always good to end on a high note, so let's start with the cons:
No more home cooked meals.
Oh yeah. This really hits me hard. Not that we eat home cooked meals all the time, but when we do: yes. Now, these will be few and far between. Wherever you're headed off to, I hope you have a great dining hall.
No more "familiars."
That view you're so used to seeing outside your window? Get used to a new one. That drive you always take to Target? Start using Google Maps, because who knows where your new Target is. Your favorite cup of coffee at that cafe on the edge of town? It's time to find a new drink at a new coffee shop. Everything normal and commonplace about your home gets thrown right out the window when you head off to college.
No more long-time friends.
This isn't to say that you can't keep these friends. It's just to say that the week-long hangouts and late weekend nights are essentially over. That's a tough pill to swallow, I know. These are the friends that went to prom with you, that held you through heartbreak, that showed up at your house in the wee hours of the morning for no reason at all. They've been with you through almost everything up to this point, and if you're lucky, they'll still only be a phone call away.
No more parents.
Okay. So you may take this a totally different way, but understand where I'm coming from. I still kiss my parents goodnight every night. I won't get to do that any more. Waking up in a dorm room means there's no more waking up to your parents having morning coffee together in the living room. No more going to the grocery store with your mom, or hanging out with her in the kitchen. No more weekends running errands with your dad, listening to all your favorite music together. No more sitting with your mom and dad, telling them about your day. Our experiences with our parents will now be forever reduced to phone calls and visits.
So now that you're super emotional, lets move on to the pros.
New surroundings.
Campus life isn't a bad way to live. Let's be honest. Colleges tend to be pretty beautiful, and it's a unique feeling to be surrounded by people with a similar purpose to yours. You get to live in a place where people are eager to learn about the world and themselves. You get to participate in an environment of bettering yourself and seeing things in new ways.
New adventures.
When you head off to college, you get to find your new staple spots. That go-to restaurant or snow cone stand. Maybe your new town has really cool spots for hiking, shopping, or even kayaking. Who knows? This new world is yours for the taking. Make it your own.
New friends.
So far, my favorite thing about the little bit of college I've experienced this summer has been new friends. These are the people I'll brave my new adventures with. The ones I'll do life with. The thick-and-thin times. There's no telling who I might become close to. This isn't high school. College is big, you guys. Befriend whomever you like.
No parents.
Independence! Enough said.
Ready or not, it's almost time! The day I thought might never get here is only days away and it's all things all at one time...
College, here I come.
