Almost a month ago, I woke up super early, packed up the rest of my dorm, got my room inspected, turned in my room key, and caught a plane to fly back home. Even though I was up for about 20 hours that day, I was up and going off of being both excited and nervous - ever since I started college, I haven't been home for more than a month! I'd be leaving all the friends I made in NYC for a few months, and the people I kept in contact with from back home were all working, going on trips, or studying abroad, so I was afraid I wouldn't get to see them. And I was set to start my first full-time job a couple weeks after I came back. Even though I was a little nervous to see what the summer had in store for me, I was more excited than anything: time to relax, time to not do schoolwork, time to sleep, etc, etc.
When I finally got home, after a very long, 20-hour day, I set my suitcases down in my bedroom (what a sight to see!) and went to bed. Throughout the last week or so, I realized that there are so many reasons why this summer is different from any summer before I started college.
Food is readily available!!
Oh. My. God. I spent the last eight months budgeting out my money to buy as little food as possible and making use of my meal plan at the dining halls, but absolutely nothing compares to real, fresh food from the supermarket. When I went food shopping with my mom, I could say, "We should make [insert food here] with some [insert fruit/vegetable here]," and she would tell me to add the ingredients to the cart - what a difference from last month, when I was debating whether or not I could afford to buy more milk! The pantry and fridge at home are almost always fully stocked to feed all four of my family members, and that's so much better than trying to only spend $50 on groceries in New York City.
You still have to do chores...
Unfortunately, even though you think being home will be a nice break from being an "adult" in college, you can never escape having to do chores, especially when you're living with your parents again. You should've seen the look on my face when my mom told me I had to scoop the cat litter (I'm sure it was a face she didn't appreciate - sorry, Mom!).
You're going to run in to people everywhere
If you come from a small town, like me, I'm sure you know this very well. No matter where you go, there's almost no escape from running into someone you know - whether that be your close friend who was in drama club with you or that kid you had to sit next to in 3rd period chemistry sophomore year. Needless to say, this is both a blessing and a curse, depending on your level of friendship to the person you see. Regardless, it is usually great to get to catch up with someone you haven't seen in forever (but maybe not if you're in your sweats buying ice cream at 9 pm).
You finally get to see your pets!
There is no better feeling than walking through your door for the first time in months and being greeted by your four-legged, furry best friends! Seeing my cat and dog every day makes being at home that much better. Plus, you can be as weird around them as you want and they'll still want to be your friend ;) so there's no worrying about that (bonus points for my fellow introverts!).
Last but not least, you're with your family again.
If you're like me, your family members also happen to be your best friends. I missed seeing my parents and sister every day; even though we talked almost every day when I was in school, it was hard to not be physically in the same place as them. Since I've come home, I've had good, deep talks, goofy, laughter-filled evenings, family meals, mini road trips, singing, and movie nights - and it's only been a week! Even though there are some things I miss about living alone (like not having to make sure there's a car for me to take, or not scooping cat litter), being around my three favorite people on the face of this Earth certainly makes up for it.
On some level, being home for the summer from college feels completely normal, but at the same time it feels completely different: it's a new normal. Sure, sometimes I miss the old summers when I was in high school and how things used to be, but it's a natural part of life for things to constantly be changing and evolving: so don't dwell on the past! In the grand scheme of things, I wouldn't want this summer to be like all the others: I'm in a new place in my life and I'm still enjoying what this new place has in store!
Lots of love,
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