If you see me walking on campus and I’m alone, you’ll most likely see me on the phone. The person on the other end of that phone line will most likely always be a member of my family. Whether it’s my mom (it usually is), my sister, my aunt, or my cousins, I am pretty much in constant contact with my family. Not only is this because I miss them, but it’s because I always grew up very close to my family and being away from them I always feel the need to catch up so I’m not missing out on as much.

I’ve gone through some pretty tough times together. The tragedies that I have gone through have been felt by all of the members of my family as well. Without them, I do not think I could have possibly gotten through these situations. I owe so much to my family for all that they’ve helped me through, which is one of the many reasons I am so close to them. They have been a constant support system to me through hard times, so I know that if I need them they will be there to listen and help as much as they can.

I also spend a lot of time with my family when I’m home from school. When I’m back on campus I find that I often feel left out and that I’m missing out on a lot. So, I call or text my family often to catch up and see what everyone has been up to. This is definitely not the same as actually being home and joining them on whatever they’re doing, but it is better than not knowing what is going on.

I am extremely thankful for facetime and facebook video chatting. I facetime with my sister whenever we’re both available whether it’s to talk about one of our favorite TV shows, The Flash, or to just catch up, we try to facetime as often as possible. With Facebook video chatting, I can talk to my aunt and my cousins and we even watch a show together while we talk. This almost makes me feel like I’m in the same room with them and makes me feel a lot better when I’m feeling homesick or lonely.

Whether it’s a quick text, a phone call as I walk to class or work, or video chatting, I make sure to keep in contact with my family as much as possible. I probably annoy my mom with the amount of times I call her each day, but I don’t know what I would do without hearing my family’s voices each day. I’m thankful I have such a strong support system.