Statesboro is an interesting little place - it'll suck you in and you won't even notice it until it's time to leave. Now that spring semester is coming to an end and I'm preparing to head home for the summer, I've realized there are quite a few things I'm going to miss about my home away from home. You know what they say, you never know what you've got 'til it's gone.

1. Living less than 5 minutes away from all of my friends.

Going home means that all of my friends are going home too, and unfortunately, not all of them are within a rational driving distance from me. During the school year, I can either just walk over to my pal's room or make a quick drive down Chandler Road to get to my friend's place; over the summer I'm going to have to actually plan trips to see everyone. What even?

2. Infamous Burkhalter stories and Snapchats.

Yeah, I know, people still live in Burk over the summer. But do people put "Get Well Soon" cards and flowers on a dead deer at the entrance or turn everyone's backyard into a mud pit over the summer? Probably not.

3. Dingus Magees.

I feel like this one is pretty self-explanatory. What ever will I do without Dingus happy hour and cheese sticks for 3 months?

4. Live music. Everywhere.

There aren't any real social venues in my hometown, but here in Statesboro I've become accustomed to having a live band or singer to look forward to almost everywhere I go.

5. Parker's drinks.

Another thing we don't have in my hometown is a Parker's. The chewy ice and 89 cent drinks have helped push me through many all nighters in Club Hendy.

6. Pool days.

Sure, you can get together with a few friends from home and hit up one of their pools at their house, but nothing really compares to a Friday or Saturday at the Hampton's pool. Even though with the new rules that don't allow it to live up to its former glory, it's still something to miss. RIP.

7. Always having something to do.

Sure, there are tons of parties that you can attend, but there is still so much going on. Whether it be a Greek philanthropy event or date night/social or karaoke/trivia at your favorite restaurant, there's bound to be something going on.

8. Cookout.

Yet another thing we don't have in my hometown. Even if we did, I would get some pretty disheartening looks from my family if I walked into the house with a 5 dollar tray twice a week.

9. The Plaza.

'Nuff said.

10. How close I am to Savannah.

Sav is one of my favorite places to day trip to, and while it isn't extremely far from my hometown, it's very convenient in relation to Statesboro. Especially when I can call up my friends and ask if they want to go for the day.

11. Everything being open until 2 on the weekends.

Because for whatever reason, sometimes you just need Zaxby's at 1:30 AM on a Saturday.

12. The freedom I have.

I'm used to working on my own time and doing things my way. I love going home to see my family, but it just isn't the same.

13. Tshirt orders upon tshirt orders upon tshirt orders.

I am a strong advocate for wearing t-shirts, and for ANY event that's going on in Statesboro, I guarantee there will be a t-shirt.

I haven't even left yet and I already miss it. Staesboro is a hidden gem, and as ready as I am for summer, I don't quite know how I'm going to function without being here. Can't wait to GATA again in the fall!