At long last, your greatly anticipated vacation is upon you. You finish your last class, hastily pack, and jump into the car. The drive home seems to take forever, but then you finally arrive at your house, relieved that your brain can breathe and think about something other than acid-base equilibria for the next two weeks. While this period of time is perfect for relaxing, it’s also a good to be reminded how different the real world is from your sheltered college bubble.

You remember that normal people don’t shower with shoes on.

That’s right! They also don’t have to walk down a hallway in a towel, or carry every toiletry item they own to and from the bathroom and their room. How lucky some people have it, am I right ladies?

Meals aren’t ready and waiting for you when you walk into the kitchen.

This fact actually might put a damper on things, but at least now your dining hall workers are saved from the blame of your food not living up to your standards. If you’re like me, you may be excited to say you want to, but never actually make all the recipes from the Food Network binge your about to have and just cook a (heavenly) grilled cheese. Or there’s always your favorite pizza place to properly reunite with by ordering from more than is probably good for your waistline.

There are pets in the real world.

People don’t go home to empty dorm rooms. Some lucky ones get to open a door to a dog’s wagging tail or an indifferent cat on a couch. Whatever the quadruped take form as, the people who get to see one every day are luckier than they know.

Laundry is free!

You don’t have to wait until you’re embarrassingly low on underwear to wash your clothes, anymore. This right to hygiene will be provided to you at home, free of your usual $3 charge!

You don’t have to wash your dishes in the bathroom sink.

Dishwashers are real, and they are such a game changer.

You actually have a license and the ability to drive.

No more waiting for the school shuttle, or begging your friend for a ride to Dunkin'. You are free to drive anywhere, whenever you want. (However, unfortunately at the expense of your own gas tank.)

People in the real world aren’t constantly stressed about homework and tests.

Are they stressed? Probably, yes. But is it about cell signaling pathways, or the grade they got on the exam they just took? For most, probably not.

Don’t let these things go to waste! Kick back, relax, and enjoy your time home. You’ll miss college breaks in a few years, even if you do have these luxuries.