One of the most exciting rites of passage associated with growing up is moving out and going to college. Moving into a community of kids your own age is an exciting transition and the experiences and memories you gain are unlike anything you have experienced before. However, amidst the excitement of college, there are certain things about home that you are certain to miss.
One of the first things about home you will begin to miss is the ease that comes with doing laundry at home, because one of the most stark culture shocks associated with college is realizing that you have to schedule when you can do laundry. This scheduled time is generally in the dead of night, or early in the morning when everyone else is sleeping, and you are wishing you could be asleep as well.
The next thing you didn’t realize you would miss when you left home was your pet. College is a vast sea of 18 to 22-year-old catastrophes that are actually prevented from having animals (probably for the animal's safety). As a result, in the rare occasion that a dog is spotted on campus, everyone will flock to it and dote on it. Having a furry companion is a luxury you don’t realize you will miss, until you’re 1000 miles away from your best friend.
Younger family members were probably one of the things you were most excited to escape when you moved away. You no longer had to deal with little ones getting into your makeup, or unpaid babysitting gigs. However, after a few months away from these little munchkins, you’ll soon realize how entertaining it was to watch your eleven year old cousin have a breakdown because her older sister would not abide by her will. These little kiddos were some of the most entertaining and lovable people in your life. They will make going home for Thanksgiving that much more worthwhile.
As much as you miss the ease associated with laundry, your pet, or your younger family members, nothing will compare to how much you miss your mom. Eventually, you will get sick and suddenly realize that chicken soup does not magically appear, nor do phenomenal, nutritious, home-cooked meals fall out of the sky. You will occasionally catch yourself missing the continuous nagging that drove you up the wall, and realize your health may very well have been primarily reliant on her reminding you to bathe and eat. You will start calling her and realize that as much as you hate to admit it, you are definitely your mother's child. She alone will make coming home for Thanksgiving worthwhile.
College allows you to learn more about yourself as an individual and realize the value of your most treasured gifts. You learn what matters most, and what makes the little things, like family, so special.
