I've had it pretty lucky these past eighteen years of my life. My parents are my biggest supporters: financially, emotionally, and academically.

I've always been a very independent person, but I am not blind to the help my parents have given me along the way. One thing I have realized is that not everyone has the same starting point. I am independent, but I am privileged. I wouldn't be where I am today without their help.

These are some of the things I'm going to miss.

1. A fridge full of food.

Oh, yes. Even though I've grown up in the south, my family isn't one to make home cooked meals and sit around at the table. I will rarely come home to a fully cooked meal. I cook most of my own food, but guess what? That takes stocked food, something my future college self will realize I took for granted.

2. Help with chores.

I do my own laundry as well, but I'm also a busy person and life gets hectic. Sometimes, my laundry piles up and my mom will graciously help out. If I'm running an errand, she can switch the clothes from the washer to the dryer. From what I've heard, people in dorms are very aggressive when it comes to the laundry room. Instead of coming back from errands to find my laundry in the dryer, I will most likely find it on the floor soaking wet if I were to do that in college.

3. Help with technology

For most teenagers, they are the ones helping their parents when anything technology related doesn't work. I wish that was the case for me. I'm not the most patient person when it comes to technological malfunctions and I am certainly not skilled enough to fix it.

4. A shoulder to cry on.

Over the years, I've developed a very tight-knit relationship with my parents. They are wise and they have my best interest in mind, who better to receive advice from? I think one of the scariest things about entering college is the fact that you don't have a support group yet. It can take time to find people you can open up to.

5. The coziness of home.

There is a difference between a house and a home. Home is where your people are, the people you love and cherish. I can't wait to enter this new season of life and do life with new people, but no matter where you go, you will always have a longing for home and more importantly, the people who make it a home.