Guys...I miss DePauw. A lot. I miss playing soccer in my hallway all night for absolutely no reason when I have a 9:10 the next day. I miss being with all of my best friends in the same place at the same time. I miss being able to walk down the hall on a Saturday morning to make sure my friends are alive after a particularly rough night.

Everyone wants to go back to school to see their friends and frequent their favorite frats once again. But there are tons of smaller reasons why we are all itching to head back to the castle. I’ve listed 10 of them below, because sometimes all we need to get that nostalgia going again as a reminder of why we get the privilege of going to the greatest school on earth. Here are some less thought-of reasons why I can’t wait to drive through the cornfields in August.

1) East College. I know I’m basic, but at least I embrace it. I miss the iconic, historic building that stands in the middle of our campus and makes it that much more beautiful. Something about it just says, ‘I’m back home.’ Besides, who else is excited to see all the East College Instagrams that come with the beginning of the school year??

2) Greencastle amenities. I know. Why would I want to leave Chicago, where I can walk a block and encounter everything I will ever need or want, for a place sinned with the absence of a Chipotle? But it makes those road trips to Plainfield that much more exciting. And who can forget the wonderful Greencastle cuisine? Casa, Fairways, Dairy Castle, quesadillas at late night (shoutout to my boy Freddy) and, of course, the one and only Marvin’s. I have been craving mac bites since May. Not to mention free movies at Ashley Square Cinema, Eli’s Bookstore (because we never have enough DePauw apparel) and drinks at The Fluttering Duck-- for those old enough to enjoy them, of course. Though we never want to admit it, there’s a lot to miss about Greencastle.

3) The Lilly Center. I definitely didn’t frequent the gym as much as I wanted to last year, but I’m pumped to see the new Lilly space. When you’re on campus, you forget what a luxury it is to have a free gym. But I’m really excited not to have to wait for a treadmill, feel the heat radiating from the runner next to me or feel self-conscious every time people look through the glass and right into my soul as they walk by the fitness center. 

4) Acceptable DePauw attire. As much as I love my internship, I miss rolling out of bed and going to class in my leggings and giant DePauw sweatshirt. The fact that I have to actually get dressed every morning during the summer is a real struggle. I also can’t wait to have an excuse to wear all the clothes I bought online shopping while at work (See Nettie Finn’s article, “Confessions of a College Shopaholic” http://theodysseyonline.com/depauw/confession-of-a...)

5) Sleeping in. It sounds counter-intuitive, right? You’re supposed to sleep in over the summer and get minimal sleep during the school year. But, for those of us smart enough not to have 8 a.m. classes, not having to wake up at 6 a.m. and commute to work makes the later wake up times to be a relief. And not working until 5 p.m. allows for some quality midday nap time that I can’t wait to take advantage of. 

6) Pre-made food. This seems kind of twisted, because everyone talks about mom’s cooking as one of the only positives of being home. But when the parents aren’t home and I have to make my own food, I’m at a loss. Having a set time for meals while living in the Greek house and having the food made for you already, while not always what we might think of as a perk, provides structure to our daily routines. Knowing when and what I am going to eat for dinner allows me to plan the rest of my day around that. If Pi Phi has bread bowls for lunch, I’m definitely going light on the breakfast. 

7) Exposure. It might seem ironic considering how frequently we talk about the, “DePauw bubble,” but I've learned a lot outside of academics while at school. My music taste has grown vastly, I’ve tried foods I wouldn’t normally eat, I’ve met all kinds of interesting people and seen some cool speakers on top of getting involved in extracurricular activities that I can’t be involved with at home. I’m excited to go back to the bubble and explore more of what I don’t know. 

8) 80 closets. Maybe the guys can’t relate to this one so much, but I can’t wait to live in the sorority house next year to have a nearly unlimited selection of outfits to choose from when going out. In a survey that I conducted on a focus group of one person--me--I found that 100% of participants hate their own clothes. Needless to say, I’m excited to have access to all those clothes again...and maybe a bigger focus group. 

9) Being a big fish. We’ve all heard the expression, “a big fish in a small pond.” At DePauw, I can become involved with clubs very easily and I can be a contributing member of the community. This summer, I’m ‘just an intern,’ which basically means I’m less experienced and less knowledgeable than everyone around me. Which is fine; it’s part of the learning experience. But I don’t like the feeling of being ‘lesser.’ At DePauw, I’ve found that, whether a member of a club is a senior or a freshman, everyone is treated relatively equally and given the same opportunities. The DePauw world is less critical and more constructive, and I can’t wait to get back to a place where I can be goofy during a meeting and not get scolded. I want to be a big fish again. 

10) A fresh start. Being home for the summer is great because I get to see my friends from home and my family...but it almost feels as though I am transported back in time and have to be the person I was before I came to DePauw. Entering DePauw’s campus is like entering a world of opportunity: you can be whoever you want to be. Despite its small size, you are constantly meeting new people and given an opportunity to recreate yourself here. Coming home for the summer has shown me how much I’ve grown since setting foot on campus last fall, and I can’t wait to see what next year will do for me. Of course I’m excited to see my friends and hang out at Sigma Chi until 4 a.m., but I'm also looking forward to seeing how another year at DePauw will change me for the better. 

And so begins the countdown to camp college. Just let me go back already!