With Reading Days under way and Parent’s Weekend coming up, I think it’s safe to say we’ve all had home on the mind a little bit, if not a lot. Though I do believe all of the adults who have told our generation that our college years are the time to grow up, become independent, and “find yourself” and so on, I also believe that it’s completely acceptable to miss home while you’re off on your own.
I’ll admit it. I’m a 20-year-old junior who gets a little homesick from time to time. I’m not talking about crying myself to sleep or counting down the days until I fly home because I’m miserable kind of homesick; I’m talking about missing the comfort of home, pure and simple. Yeah, I talk to my mom at least once a day (if not more), but I do this because it’s always nice to hear a familiar voice, not because I’d rather be home than at school. Talking to my mom is comforting and is a constant reminder that home is waiting for me (especially when accompanied in November by a kickass Thanksgiving meal).
I don’t think it’s lame to dream about your own bed, a home cooked meal, or even a shower without shoes. I don’t think it’s needy or “weak” to talk to your parents on the reg. In fact, I think most people can agree that their relationships with their parents strengthen once they leave home. (Perhaps the old adage, “distance makes the heart grow fonder” holds true for familial relationships if not always for long distance romantic ones.)
Don’t get me wrong: college is awesome. It’s great being able to live on your own, meet new people, and take classes that interest you. Every now and then, however, I think everybody would agree that there are those times when you just really want to be at home. For instance, when Peirce makes Taco Tuesday have a surprise reappearance on Friday and then again for Sunday Brunch (Chef Meaghan, we love you anyway!) or when the weather gets a bit bipolar, flip flopping between icy cold and blistering heat with 100% humidity every other day. Lately I’ve been feeling this way even in my daily routine, after going to class each day while constantly thinking about the mountain of work that awaits you in the library (junior year is hard!)
Overall, college is great. But even in its greatness there are definitely moments when you catch yourself dreaming about home. And you know what? That’s okay! It’s okay to miss your dog, the smell of your room, or even just watching TV in the morning with your breakfast on your lap. It’s okay to call your parents, even just to say hello or to tell them about that test you think you may have bombed. It doesn’t matter that we’re supposed to be shooting for “grown-up” status and still yearn for our own beds and favorite stuffed animals. Maybe part of growing up in college is coming to terms with the fact that it’s completely acceptable to need the comforts of home every once and a while.
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