"I can't believe you would want to live at home, with your parents..."

If I had a dollar for every time someone has told me that in the past couple of months, I would probably be rich.

Being a transfer student at a school with limited housing meant that living off-campus was an inevitable thing. I only live a short train ride away from campus, so naturally my parents and I were keen on the idea of me commuting to school in order to save money.

It has also been the one topic of conversation that I dread bringing up, because everyone seems to feel sorry for my predicament, especially when they learn that I did indeed live in a dorm last year.

I was just watching a YouTube video by one of my favorite Youtubers, Hayley Segar, who goes to UCONN branch at Avery Point, about the same topic. She chose to commute to school in order to still be able to live her life with YouTube and her job as a bridal consultant. Up until watching this video, I had never felt validated and always felt like I was missing out.

Truth is, I am the happiest I have ever been. Living away at school was totally amazing, don't get me wrong, but I hated dorm life. I hated sharing my space with other people, I hated not having access to a kitchen and I hated the people who lived on my hellacious floor. I truly wasn't happy, and I knew it wasn't for me!

When I was looking into other housing before I thought about transferring, I would get extreme anxiety about roommates, bills and other things that nobody thinks of when they are getting their first apartment. I was looking forward to having my own space again, but it still didn't sit well with me deep down in my gut.

I have so much freedom at home because I have a trustworthy relationship with my parents. I still have friends, go out on the weekends and go to school and work full-time. My parents have never once bothered me about where I was going or who I was spending time with.

A lot of people can't get over the fact that it still feels like high school, but every single night when I crawl into my extremely comfortable bed and log onto the free wifi, all of the worry goes away. I am saving myself so much money in the long-run and I don't have to worry about roommate headaches, calling the cable company and coming home to a lonely apartment every day just to struggle to make ends meet.

I know that people from high school probably feel sorry for me and think I am getting robbed of the quintessential college experience of boozy dorm room parties and freedom from parents, but I lived that life and it wasn't my thing.

I think the biggest misconception is that I don't have a social life, but I have actually been to more parties since I have been home, than when I was away at school. My parents trust me to make the right choices and understand that I still need to have my own life.

It was a little bit of an adjustment and sometimes I feel like I want my own space, but I don't feel robbed or short changed at all. And not having to worry about bills is such a stress reliever and a guilt reducer because if my parents had to help me with rent and such, I would feel terrible.

I know I made the right choice for me, and I don't understand why it is so hard for others to see that as well. I'm so thankful that my mom and dad even let me live back at home, so I have no room to complain!