Why Bringing Your College Friends To Your Hometown Is A Necessity!

I was never the type of person to feel very committed to my hometown. Sure, I liked where I grew up, but let’s just say that I was ready to leave when it was time for college.

I always assumed because I didn’t have a deep-rooted connection with my hometown, that I wouldn’t bother bringing my college friends to it. Well, I learned quickly that mixing the two is a very unique and worthwhile experience. Here’s why!

How We Grew Up…

There’s something interesting about showing people who you met outside of your hometown where you originated from. Regardless of who you end up befriending, everyone is going to grow up differently whether that be growing up with different family dynamics, different expectations, or in different areas.

Toward the end of my freshman year of college, my roommate took me and our friend group to her house. As I walked around, I noticed the pictures hanging up of her accomplishments, and life moments, from when she was younger. These photos let me see how she grew up. If it wasn’t for going back to the house she grew up in, I would probably never have seen these photos–or the person she used to be. As the night continued, we were playing card games, when my roommate pulled out this game in a sparkly box with words pasted onto it. My roommate explained how the game was something she and the kids in her neighborhood created one summer.

These stories are something I genuinely really enjoy, and if it wasn’t for visiting where she grew up, I highly doubt I would ever know about it.

Memories, Memories, Memories!

When I took two of my college friends back to where I grew up, I suddenly felt the urge to reflect on my experience living where I did. I drove past my high school and pointed out different things that I experienced.

I showed them how my mascot was the bears, and how we didn’t actually have a mascot after my freshmen year, after someone stole the head of the costume. I then reminisced on how my senior class prank played out, with all of us putting Vaseline on our teacher’s door handles. Originally when all of these events happened in high school I didn’t really think much of them. I was living in the moment and overlooked the memories that I was making at the time.

A similar thing happened when my friends visited my house. As one of my friends was walking through my kitchen she grabbed a photo of me when I was younger, asking where it was taken. For context, the photos were of me on the beach. I laughed because the photo was very awkward-looking and well…laughable. I began telling her about the context of these awkward photos and how one year my parents wanted a professional photographer to take photos of us on the beach. 

Now that I’m older, and living away from where I grew up, I can truly appreciate the memories that my home holds. At the time, I didn’t realize all the interesting memories I was making but now I look back and appreciate the significance of my hometown, I almost see it in a new light. I look at my hometown as a place that carries my memories, or even my childhood if you will. 

Now as I’m in college I get to share bits and pieces of that with my college friends.

Differently But Not Different 

One of the best things about going back to the roots of where you and your college friends grew up, is that you get to see the differences between each other’s lives. No one grew up completely the same way, and I think that it is a really interesting thing not just to talk about, but to see for yourself. You and your college friends didn’t grow up together, and in a way going back to each other’s hometown, is like a way of playing catchup. In most cases, friendships prior to these were friends you’ve known since you were a kid. Now, in university, you go into friendships knowing very little about each other from a young age.  

I find that bringing your college friends to your hometown adds a lot of value and vulnerability to the friendship. Although we may be different from our younger selves I find that there is no better feeling than showing the people you care about most, what you originate from, and vice versa.

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