Two Weeks Until
Start writing a post
Student Life

Two Weeks Until

My life is about to change big time.

16
Two Weeks Until
Rachael Caddell

Two weeks. That's all. Two weeks until I leave for Italy, which means two weeks to get packed up for a five month adventure, and two weeks left in my hometown. While I'm away, my parents are moving to a completely new area in South Carolina. I'm having to say bye to a lot of people and have my "last" such and such here and there. Before you go ahead and roll your eyes and think, "It's not like she can't drive down there", let me stop you and say that I already know that. I've been driving down here for the past three years to come home.

Now realize that "home" is in Charleston, SC. If my parents move away, then I really have no reason at all to come back down here as much as I do during the school year and breaks besides my close friends and family. Even with random car rides down here to visit them, it will never, ever be the same. I'm used to having last minute plans to movies or lunch, or having plans to go to a cookout at this house or that house. During the summer, all of my friends and I take trips to the beach a lot, we practically live there. We'll text each other the day before or the day of and ask who wants to come. Everything is so free and random here, it's my home, where plans don't have to be made a month in advance.

In regards to my family, I'm used to seeing them every week, they are only a five-ten minute car ride away. This is something that I will definitely hate whenever I move. I grew up in a family where you hung out with your cousins and uncles/aunts a lot. Especially during the summer when the lake was our playground. Things are changing so fast and I really only have two weeks to stay caught up.

I know that people grow up and families move, and I also realize that I have the option to come back here after I graduate, but what's the point? My parents won't be here, and nothing will be the same. The population and development in Charleston is so crazy, that traffic is already unbearable. I couldn't imagine coming back here in a year or two after more neighborhoods have been developed.

So as I look around my childhood room, I see prom pictures that took place in my front yard, the birthday party's at the pool, and my sister and I playing in the backyard. All of these times are not easy to swallow when you only have two weeks. I can sit in a room and playback so many scenarios of different times in my family. Like the fight my sister and I had when a bottle was thrown at a certain sister (aka me). Or when we just got my puppy, Pete, who spent his first night in the bathroom whining until I came and got him. Then there's the times when I would put on performances in the kitchen and act like my parents were at a theater show for dinner. I would put on a quick dance show then quickly put on an apron to turn into the waitress.

The love and discipline that was shown in this house truly shaped my sister and I. It's the house where my mom, Amanda, and I had to join together and cooperate when my dad was deployed in Afghanistan. It's the house where he returned to and we had to cope with PTSD. It's the house that heard a lot of arguments but also saw a lot of love and kindness when those arguments were explained. It's the house that will always be "home", whether that just be a memory or a location. It will always serve as a safe haven when life doesn't treat my family or myself well.

This whole "moving" thing has me caught off guard but it also excites me as I know that my parents are leaping into their own adventure. They've lived in Charleston their whole lives, taking trips to cool places but also coming back to their anchor. It's time for them to pick up their anchor and leave, but I know that they will always remember their roots.

Same for me as I take on Italy the next five months and return to a new home in the backwoods of South Carolina.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

54310
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

34947
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

957258
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

182956
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments