The whole last month of college I felt myself getting more and more nostalgic over my freshman year of college. Coming from someone who did not have the high school experience John Hughes' dreams are made of, college was really where I found myself and my people.
I remember watching my friends start to pack up their dorm rooms and actually shedding a tear or two (or a lot, I'm kind of an emotional person, okay) because watching the polaroid pictures and crafts from Big/Little week coming off peoples walls really set in that I wouldn't see some of my favorite people for the next three months. I was so not ready to leave the horrible cement walls and stained carpet floors that I made my home away from home, or the people who became like a second family to me.
I remember on the car ride home with one of my best friends from home and my mom, just starting to cry. The girl who on the way to move in back in August was crying for the exact opposite reason, thinking she had made a mistake moving away from college, was done with her favorite school year so far and was sad to be leaving it.
It really clicked with me when I got home that I needed to make the most of my time home. Yes, I love all my friends that aren't from my hometown, but they are from 200 miles away to 5,000 miles away. Just like you, they are spending time with their family and their home friends in their hometown.
I am typically someone who loves to be surrounded by people all the time, so college was pretty up my alley, because even when you are alone, you kind of aren't and there are always people who you can study with and go to get food with. Whereas at home when your friends are busy or working there is nothing you can really do. Instead of finding this alone time sad and lonely I decided to make the most of my summer and not worry about others and what they are doing, but rather what makes me happy and what I want to do.
The summer is supposed to be about being with the people you haven't seen while you have been away and not having to study for finals anymore. Instead of being worried about FOMO make sure that you are doing what you need to do for you. I spent so much time saying yes to plans when I was in school that I forgot to spend time for myself and in that I wore myself thin.
So this summer, instead of constantly worrying about missing people or plans, I plan on spending time with myself and recognizing when I can and can not do things and I will say no to plans when I know that I should not go so that i can get back to school in August fully recharged and ready to do amazing in school.
