If you couldn’t tell from the endless commercials, department store sales, and social media posts, it is officially back-to-college season. We are at the point when free time, warm weather, and your mom’s home-cooked meals have lost their appeal. Everyone seems to have their entire lives packed up and ready to move as soon as the residence halls open. We are beyond ready to get back to campus life, midnight Sheetz runs, and all the Dunkin our little hearts desire. But guess what? Not everyone is ready to go back.

I’m not ready to go back.

I’ve always been a homebody; it’s just my mom, my sister, and I (and our pets). We’ve always operated as an extremely tight unit. We do everything together: live, eat, shop, work, etc. Over the years, we have had to lean on each other through a lot of crap-- speaking frankly. We drifted apart a little while I lived on campus last year, but everything slipped back into place this summer. I don’t want to lose that.

I’ll be honest. I loved living on campus last year, and I was super upset having to leave all of my friends for four months. I thought I would be bored all summer long—no staying up until two in the morning, no "Dance Moms" marathons, no dance team, and (the horror…) no boys. I resigned myself to believing that the next four months would drag by with no one but my family in my life.

I could not imagine going from being surrounded by my friends all day and all night to total isolation. I thought I was going to waste away my whole summer working and being bored. But, here’s the kicker: I was happier than I’ve been in a long time.

I had forgotten that life in my family is never boring! There’s always something interesting going on in my house (and if there isn’t, we outsource our entertainment to my aunt and cousins). We were happy to sit around, talk, and laugh until we couldn’t breathe about the ridiculous antics on last night’s episode of Impractical Jokers.

We also have a “personal zoo” of animals—two dogs, a horse, a fish, and a mouse—so there is always someone cute around to play with (and post on Snapchat)! These are the things I will not have with me when I return to school, and I am having trouble coming to terms with it.

And that “working my summer away” thing I mentioned? Yeah, I worked all summer long, but they were the greatest jobs in the world! I am an education major, so I knew I wanted to work with kids. I worked first in a daycare, and I got to spend time with some of the coolest, sweetest kids I have ever met. I had so much fun making crafts and watching Disney shows that the time just flew by.

Then, for six magical weeks, I had the privilege of being a summer camp counselor at a camp for individuals with special needs. We played sports, took field trips, had dances, and made memories that all of us will cherish forever. Some of our favorite times were those spent just sitting around, telling stories, and learning from one another. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life, which is something I could write a whole separate article about! But, again, this is something I will not have with me at school. (On a side note, there was a boy—a truly nice one at that—who I got to work with every day, so worries of a summer without looking at boys were unfounded.)

Are you beginning to see why I might not be so eager to drop everything and move into my on-campus apartment? I am leaving my family, my pets, my home, and every unfathomably amazing aspect of this time in my life. In fact, I am writing this very article from Virginia Beach, and I am definitely not ready to give up the beach life and start the late-night library life!

RMU friends, if you’re reading this, I hope you held out for this part! I have, however, missed being able to talk with my friends in person whenever I want. I have missed dance practices in the stadium lights and underneath the sunset (I know what you’re thinking, dance and band kids!) So, even though I am going to miss my home life and mourn the loss of my summer, I know I will be happy to make new memories with my friends and live my “school life.” Just don’t rush me with the back-to-school posts, guys!