During the last couple days of the summer before moving away to college, there was nothing on my mind except for the excitement of going somewhere new, having new experiences and finally being independent. In that excitement I didn’t even think to take a moment to appreciate all of the things that I would be leaving behind, and that it would be a really long time before I experienced any of those things again. Of course I had already gone through earlier and come to terms with not seeing my family and that I wouldn’t get to sleep in my own bed, but I’ve slowly come to realize there are way more things that you don’t think about being a part of your everyday life that I have now come to appreciate more.
Over Columbus Day weekend a group of us who live too far to go home were invited to go to the house of one of our floormates. It was really nice to sleep in a bigger bed than those in the dorms, but there were many other things that felt way better to experience. Among them were interacting with pets, eating a meal that wasn’t mass produced, riding in a car, and sitting on a couch that’s actually comfortable. Even the simple fact of being in a living room was a very welcome change from the enclosed space of the dormitory common room. Being away from home lets you appreciate all of the things that are commonplace at home.
Another aspect is that, although you really have no choice in the matter, there is no potential for cooking food. Not only that, but with a meal plan you have a rather limited selection of what you are going to fill your daily diet with, and the freshman fifteen is near inevitable as you start to shift into a mostly carb-based diet. This in itself makes the idea of a kitchen and a homecooked meal infinitely more appealing. Regardless of how many times you make the same meal, it’s never going to be identical and every meal is going to be different.
Finally, there is the lack of the family dynamic. Even though it wasn’t my own family, seeing a friend interact with his family brought to light the fact that although you live with the same group of people, there is absolutely nothing requiring you to continue to do anything more than live with them. When you are home, between your parents and potentially siblings you get a daily ritual of interaction and interdependence. A house is much less isolated, and that in itself forces a different kind of connection with the people. Then there is the obvious part that you are related, and having someone who will care for you unconditionally around is something you don’t realize you need until you’ve seen others around you who could have used that in their moment of need.
Home can mean a lot of things, but one thing you learn when you are away from it is just how much you truly rely on it.
