So it's the middle of the semester, you're missing your family, the diner down the street from you childhood home and most importantly your dog. What do you do about that? Well if you're close enough and can make it, you go home for the weekend, duh? It's getting to that point in the semester where midterms are making you cry and seeing any dog anywhere that's not yours makes you cry harder. While going home running away from your problems has its' pros, there's still some cons that you never realized are present until you're away for awhile. These are the Pros and Cons of a weekend getaway destination to your childhood home!
CON: There's nothing in the fridge.
You expect to come home and the house be overflowing with delicious snacks, drinks and leftovers. You're disappointed to find that there's only every damn sauce and condiment under the sun and maybe some milk, but no . Like what? I came home for a feast and I got even less than an airplane meal.
PRO: Mom or dad's home cooked meal.
While the fridge may be empty for you, when mom or dad look in there suddenly it's Costco. And that means a home cooked meal that is hard to come by while in college. While I don't live on ramen, I do sometimes have the healthy dinner of 5 pizza rolls and cinnamon waffles. Chicken parm or penne vodka freshly made is practically a delicacy while home over the weekend. Oh and don't forget you get to take the leftovers back to school with you. Yeah roommates, that's right, we eatin' good for a few days.
CON: Nothing is close to you.
Especially for me because I go to school in New York City, everything is near me and I never have to travel more than 10 blocks to get what I need. While home though, I live in the legitimate woods where you have to...drive places. THE HORROR. The mall is a 35-minute drive. Ridiculous.
PRO: You aren't obligated to do anything.
At school you might feel the impending pressure of needing to start that project, read the entire encyclopedia, make a 30-minute presentation or something that makes you anxious. But at home, while it's probably not the most productive pro, you feel like you don't have to do anything! Being at home gives you this stress-free feeling, where work suddenly disappears into the garbage disposal. You can do all that work when you get back. For now, just watch every Netflix documentary that you actual have no good reason to watch but ABSOLUTELY NEED to right that moment.
CON: Things are changing.
Whether it's seeing the diner closed you've been going to all your life, the old friends you run into, the color of your kitchen, or the tree that always sat outside your house, it feels like life back home passes you by. While you're away in another state, living another life, things back home are changing without letting you know that they are. It's sad to not be able to say goodbye to things that you've become so attached to. And as time goes on, these changes don't stop, and you'll never grow used to them changing.
PRO: SEEING YOUR DOG AND FAM.
Being away from your family when you're super close to them can be really hard. It's not really the same telling them everything on the phone as it is to tell them around the family room. I know that living in New Jersey and going to school in New York City isn't considerably that far compared to other students, but I'm so close to my family that even being with them for 2 days doing nothing but laughing or talking about the new bathroom tile, makes my entire weekend. And hello you can finally pet your dog and hug them as much as you want without their owner telling you "ma'am please stop."
So yeah, there are definitely a few cons that make going home annoying but that in no way should stop you from making a trip home to visit the family you love and the place you grew up!
Side PRO: Bring home your laundry. You'll tell your mom that you can do it but because she loves you and misses you she'll probably end up doing it for you. Bless up.
