When leaving home and entering the real world, whether it be college, the work force, or just moving out of mom and dad's, you have this newfound independence you've been searching for. Your life is essentially up to you at this point, and you take care of yourself.

You'd like to think you do a half decent job, as you're still alive and reading this. But your routines have altered, whether you realize it or not, and what life was like at home is not what life is like now. While that's an obvious statement, there's a lot more that goes into it than just your mom doing your laundry or your dad paying to put gas in your car. And a lot of the time, we don't even realize what we're missing out on by not living at home. Here are some of the things we've taken for granted now that we've moved out.

There's always food in the house

Is it just me or is a fully-stocked fridge like a unicorn? It's magical, beautiful, and I never seem to actually see one in person... Until I come back home. At first I think it's just because I'm back home for the week and my parents bought all my favorites, but then I realized that normal adults buy food, and a good amount of it, frequently. Loaded cabinets of snacks are a conspiracy to those who've moved away from home, it seems. We seem to rely on the last bit of almond milk in our fridge and easy mac to get us through. And, while it usually does, it does not nearly compare to the food Mecca that is our parents' house.

There's just more stuff

When we go apartment shopping, we think we're buying the necessities. In reality, if you're a girl, you're hitting up the home section of Target, and if you're a guy, you're not too entirely concerned. But there are so many things that go into a household that I had no clue about until I came back home. Have you ever looked at your parents' cleaning supplies? They have everything for every possible mess. You might have some Clorox wipes. Also, there are always extras of things. Like phone chargers, shampoo, and toilet paper.

You forgot how easy it is to live back home

There's also a convenience about being back at your parents'. You know every nook and cranny. There's no unfamiliarity about being home. When you're living in an apartment in college, there's always a level of uncertainty. There are almost no real constants in college, yet in contrast, there are certain things you can always count on while at your parents' place.

You're very missed

A big realization we never think about is how much your family misses you. Your parents. Your siblings. Your pets. Someone misses you so much, and a lot of the times they won't admit it, either to keep them from crying or you from feeling bad. They don't want to take away your independence, but with the same token, they have that same convenience we have when we're home. Whether you're coming home to mom and dad because you have to, or because you want to, appreciate the time spent.