The time has finally arrived, the day we all have been longing for, when we break free from the chains around our ankles and break free from our parents grasp. Hello adulthood goodbye childhood. As exciting as this new milestone in our lives may be, what we never expected was how hard leaving home could actually be. Whether you are leaving for college for the first time or for the fourth time, it never gets easier. We all have to face it at some point or another and whether we like to admit it, this may be one of life's biggest challenges yet. Although everything turns out alright in the end, I would like to share some of my worst parts about leaving for college that I am sure many can relate to.
1. Family Time
As the summer days slip away and the “back to school” emails flood our inboxes, we are quickly reminded it is time to start packing. Suddenly reality sets in and leaving home becomes bitter sweet— Excited to go back to school, see your friends, and simply to just start classes. However, Friday night movies with mom and dad, watching your little brother play Call of Duty Zombies, and family activities become something you just day dream about.
When you take off for your first year of college, you thinking leaving mom and dad won't be so bad, but it is when you give your last goodbyes until next time that you start to realize how much you already miss them. Missing your family doesn’t have to be so bad though. As long as you call your family every now and then. Plus, it is a part of growing up; leaving the nest. Sometimes it is hard to except that you’re growing up, but just know that going away for a while makes coming home that much more exciting.
2. R.I.P to Home Cooked Meals
As I have gotten older, cooking dinner every night with my mom has become tradition. Even going grocery shopping on Sundays has become more of a mommy-daughter bonding time, and less of a painful errand to run. The best part about cooking with my mom is not only the bonding part, but that I get to learn the secrets to mom’s cooking that I will eventually carry on when I have my own house. These are the nights I miss when I am at school circling the dining hall seven times before I settle for just a salad.
3. Leaving Your Fuzzy Family
Whether you are going to the grocery store for a couple of hours or you’re off to college for a couple of months, leaving your animals is always the worst thing ever— even after your third time of packing up and getting ready for school, it still doesn’t get any easier.
It is when you get this extreme amount of guilt when packing and your pet peeks over your suitcase with a face that reads, “Where are you going?” It is when your cats give you the cold shoulder and won’t cuddle with you after you just got done emptying your room. It is when you say goodbye to them and they don’t know what is going on, but they just know you won’t be back. Ugh.
4. Missing Out on Family Occasions
We can all admit family occasions were what we tried to avoid the most, but what we didn't realize when being on our own in college was that extreme amount of guilt we would have when we you truly do miss out on these occasions. When your mom texts you, "the family is all here, we wish you were here!" Suddenly, you crawl into fetal position and ask yourself, "why did I take these occasions for granted?"
What sucks is that now that you are in college, if you miss one class you basically miss the entire semester of a class; you simply don't have a car or no gas money, the destination is too far even for just a day trip.
Leaving for college is one of the most bittersweet milestones a person goes through in their young adult life. I hope every one has a great start to their Fall semesters!
