Everyone gets to the point in their high school career where they have their I-can't-wait-to-graduate-get-me-to-college phase. Some have it earlier than others, but no matter what, it's bound to happen.

I think my phase occurred around my junior year of high school. Looking at colleges was exciting and made me eager for the future. Senior year rolled around and you hit the point where everything is bittersweet. You're at your high school peak. You love your friends, you took all blow off classes and all you have to look forward to being the football games, senior privileges and days with your hometown friends. Then college hits. At first, it's exciting. New city, new friends, you finally gained that independence you've been dying to have and you're out there trying new things. Then as you start getting the hang of things, the excitement dies down, which is completely fine, and you feel as if something was missing. I never wanted to admit it, because I thought no one else felt that way. But let's face it, everyone misses home at some point. Whether you're still in the same town or a state away, home is a huge deal.

You start to realize what you really value, and that in itself is a good reassurance to have: knowing you were raised right. That you value that family time, whether it be watching TV with your dad or just being in the same room as a family member. There's something so sentimental about it and something that makes it so unique to you.

I think that's the best part about going home. The fact that you're home. You're in your safe zone and away from the stress from college, school, or whatever you were previously dealing with. Being homesick is the best kind of sickness to have. Nathan Scott, from One Tree Hill once said, "It's hard missing someone, but if you miss someone that means you're lucky. You had someone special in your life, someone worth missing."

So it's okay to be homesick. The next time you go home, take that back road a few extra times, drive by your old high school. Print out a picture of your favorite spot and frame it and take it back to college with you. Always have something that reminds you of home. And as cliche, as it sounds, home really is where the heart is. And hey it's a nice feeling knowing that if you ever get tired of college, you always have a real home to go back to.