After the long and often exhausting experience that is finals week, it's often a welcome experience to be able to come home and relax. While it can be amazing to sit at home and watch Netflix, or sit outside and work on that tan, one must admit that being home can become a bit weird, especially as more time comes between you and high school graduation.
After the first year of college, coming home is a huge excitement. With all of your friends from high school also coming home, everyone is making plans months in advance so everyone can see each other. Tearful reunions are aplenty as friends from all over the state are together once more. From mall trips, to meals out, to vacations planned, you feel as if it is hard to not be caught up in a busy moment.
As time goes on, however, and more summers pass, things begin to change. Soon the friends that were so excited for you to come home begin to graduate and move on. As junior and senior year begin to approach, everyone seems to be at different points in their lives. While some people who may have chosen to commute or take a year or two off from college have never even left home, other people are beginning to move out into their own apartments or homes, some even getting engaged or married.
On the other hand, there are many of us who come home for the summer and find ourselves stuck somewhere in the confusing middle. We've had the experience of living on our own, even if it's just been in a dorm or an on-campus apartment, but we are not quite to the stage where we are ready or able to buy our own places. This means that while we may live independently for part of the year, we then come home to find a lot of our friends in different places over the summer.
Some friends are busy working full time, while others are no longer coming home in the summer. This leads to a lot more sitting at home and a lot less going out with friends. At the beginning of this summer, it was the first time I really began to notice it.
While it can be somewhat saddening to see everybody moving on, it's also important to look at things in a positive light. You are getting ready to move on to a new chapter in your life. Even if you're having a slow summer, it can be a good way to take some time to yourself. Create a list of things you want to do for you and try to do one each week, spend time with your family or do something that can help you move toward a future goal.
Even if you feel like you're the one who is stuck at home right now, one day you will be the one who is moving on and getting ready for the bright future you have ahead.
