Everyone told me I was going to get homesick while at college. "You'll miss your mom's home-cooked meals and having your laundry done for you," they said. However, the things I miss about home are much more than just a big bed and being with my family: there are specific things that I miss more than anything.
1. My mom's back scratches
Yeah, my mom is the queen of back scratches. And no matter how much of an attention-snob I can be, she never says no. This might sound cliché, but my mom's back scratches are her subtle way of showing me how much she genuinely loves me. She puts her tired, exhausted day behind her and gives ME the attention. Instead of complaining about all she had on her to-do list, she puts me first, and being shown that kind of love is something I don't get to experience every day in college.
2. My bathtub
There's nothing better than coming home from a long day and sitting in a nice, hot bath. And while the long, rough days seem to appear more and more as my college life progresses, the availability of bathtubs has become less and less. In my opinion, this, my friends, is the greatest tragedy of today's society.
3. My family's "smell"
Did your friends growing up ever tell you that your clothes had a distinctive "smell?" I never believed them... until I came to college. Walking into my house the first time I came home my freshman year, I was hit with an extremely familiar scent and immediately knew I was home. Your "smell" is comforting- so comforting that you don't even notice it. I miss feeling that comfort when I walked into a room or climbed into bed.
4. Leftovers
Few things are better than lasagna three days after it's made (and that's all I have to say about that).
5. Fighting with my sisters
My sisters challenge me to be a better person, and when they know I'm not acting the way that I should be, they call me out on it. While I always saw this as a negative, I'm starting to miss it. I miss having them put me on the spot when I'm in the wrong. I miss having them challenge me when I'm not being myself. There's nothing better than knowing that the people who love you are putting your well-being above your feelings.
6. Watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy back-to-back with my family
Nothing did I take for granted more in high school than the hour my family spent together every night watching our favorite shows. My mom is a pro when it comes to Wheel of Fortune, and if you were to watch Jeopardy with my dad, you'd think he was the reincarnate Einstein. But it's not my parents' mental capacities that I miss the most: it's the time we all spent in the presence of one another. That's home to me.
7. The sound of my dad's lawn mower coming on a Sunday afternoon
Sundays are my dad's only day off of work, yet he spends every one out in the yard. If I were him, I'd use this day to nap, watch football, and spend a whole lot of me-time. However, my dad puts our house and our family over his desires every Sunday. And no matter how many times we tell him to "come inside" or "let us hire a lawn repairman," he always refuses. I miss getting to witness the selflessness of my role model every weekend.
I miss home. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am absolutely loving where I am in college. I love my friends, I love my new home, and I love my life. However, a little piece of my heart is still at home with my parents, my dog, and my couch, and no matter how hard I try to put those all behind me, I never will be able to.
