I never thought I'd say it, but I miss the place I grew up in, the place that I still call home.
It wasn't until I was living in a dorm that I realized it. I was always eager to get out of the place I was stuck in for so long with all of the same people, for the same day after repetitive day. It's safe to say I was over high school long before it even started, and I was eager to move away, meet new people, see new places, and learn different things.
But now that I'm three years into college, I want my home and everything that comes with it to know that I still miss it. I still think about it alI the time. I miss seeing my family every night when everyone gets home after a long day. I miss my friends that I grew up with. I even miss the little Main Street stores and quaint restaurants that I used to drive by every day on my way to high school, or that I drove by when I was just out and about, just looking for something to do.
When I was living in my hometown everyday, I was bored. I was bored of my life and the places I was seeing every single day. I needed some new scenery, something new, something out of the ordinary. That's why I went to school in a different state. It isn't too faraway, but it's still far enough away. I'm glad I didn't go 1,000 miles away from my forever home. As it turns out, I miss it a lot.
Now I know that the bedroom I grew up in isn't going to be mine forever. The food I ate for dinner is different now that I'm shopping and cooking for myself. The car I drove all around town is now making trips to work and school. It's no doubt that we miss our families, but no one tells us we are going to miss stopping by our favorite coffee shop for the afternoon, sitting by the ocean whenever you feel like taking a breather, or grabbing your keys and just going for a drive.
Being away from what we're used to teaches us about ourselves and the people we are and the people we are becoming. A place we thought we hated turns to something we hate to miss, and the people we thought we wouldn't see ever again become our best and closest friends.
Change can be good, but sometimes we just need to change to learn more about we are and what we love. So never take what you have right in the palm of your hands for granted because someday, you're going to miss it and you're going to want it all back.
And to my forever home ... I have never hated you, but instead, I've learned that I've always loved you. You're what stays the same when others change. Thanks for being you.
