I understood the concept of this overused saying, but until I went away for my second semester, I hadn't truly experienced this sensation.
Throughout my first semester, when asked if I was homesick, my essential answer was, "No." I missed the food and the weather, but I wan't really homesick.
Going home for winter break, I was more relieved to get away from school, a tiny town and petty drama than to return home.
It was so comforting to fall back into old routines. Although home life came with its own struggles, I wouldn't trade it for endless nights of studying.
I actively avoided packing until the last minute, as if that would push back the date of return.
As the time drew closer for me to go through airport security, I felt tears well up in my eyes. That goodbye was the hardest; I didn't want my mom to leave me.
I think (if you can afford it) it is so worth it to go away for college. This may not mean leaving the state, but I think being far enough from home that you can't return every weekend to do your laundry is a worthwhile investment.
Being away from Mommy and Daddy forces you to grow up, take on responsibility and live independently (with the benefit of having your basic survival needs met through campus housing and a meal plan). But it also helps you realize how much you appreciate relationships that you might have otherwise taken for granted.
You become a better communicator because you're forced to talk on the phone. You learn how to speak in a way that is clear and succinct.
Phone calls are longer and more meaningful from the lack of the everyday monotony of, "Hi," "How was your day?" "Good." You genuinely care to hear about how their day was. You pay attention and ask questions.
Relationships take work, initiative and commitment. This, I believe, is how distance makes the heart grow fonder.
Mama Spoelie (my friend's mom) explains it like this: you hammer nails in two spots and stretch a rubber band over them. The same nails and the same rubber band placed at a shorter distance may not expand at all, and may even fall off. The further the nails, the more the rubber band gets stretched.
Stretching is sometimes painful. But in the end, the rubber band that is stretched grows more, just like your relationships.
