As the weather is getting warmer and the summer is approaching, I find myself getting more and more excited for freshman year to end.

Of course, freshman year was amazing and I would not trade it for the world. I met some amazing people that I love to death, and I've grown so much as a person. I've learned, experienced, and lived, and I've enjoyed every second of it, even the parts where I felt like I was going to break down and cry.

This year has easily been the best year of my life, and I absolutely love the place I've chosen to come to college. So why am I excited for it to end?

I miss my hometown.

I miss the place where I've spent my entire life growing up and finding myself. I miss the place where I've experienced life from when I was just to toddler until I was a senior graduating high school. I miss driving around my town and remembering all the random places my friends and I made the most amazing memories at.

I miss my friends.

I've had friends that have been my best friends since early elementary school, and I can't wait to get back into the habit of spending multiple nights in a row together with no questions asked. I can't wait to hear all about their experiences over the year that we've been apart, and I can't wait to see and acknowledge how much everyone has grown and changed. There is something so simple and satisfying about spending time with the people that have been by your side through everything and that have been so integral to your life experience.

I miss my siblings.

For the first time in three summers, my sister plans on spending the entire summer at our house instead of spending it fourteen hours away like usual. Three full months with both of my siblings will be just as interesting as it will be entertaining, and I cannot wait to see what comes of it.

I miss my parents.

I'm excited to be able to act like a kid again and to annoy my parents to no end, because as much as I enjoy acting like an adult in college, I am definitely not an adult. I need to feel like a child again and it will be nice to be able to hug my parents whenever I need to.

I miss summer adventures.

I also miss feeling the sun on my face, and I miss the simple joy of car rides with the window rolled down and the music blaring. Bonfires, hikes, parties, camping, and other amazing summer activities are definitely going to make this summer unforgettable.

I miss being carefree.

Unfortunately, at college, you are never carefree. You never have absolutely anything to worry about, so experiencing that feeling this summer after a full year of a college workload will feel wonderful.

Although I'm excited about summer, I'm also excited for the sophomore year.

Since freshman year was amazing as it was, I can't wait to see what my next year at college will bring me. I can't wait to grow and learn even more than I have, and I'm excited for change and new experiences. I'm excited for the move in day because I know that seeing my friends after the long summer will be unlike any other experience before, yet I'm also excited to meet more people and expand my social circle.

I am extremely grateful for how amazing my freshman year was, and I have no doubt that sophomore year will be just as great, if not better. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the months that I can be carefree with the people I've known forever in the town that I love.