I never pictured myself living with my grandparents, but now that I have for two summers, one winter break and one spring break, I couldn’t imagine doing anything different. At first it’s a little different, learning to adjust to their schedules and habits but after awhile I find myself so involved in their routines that I miss it when I return back to school. I miss going to line dance with my Mimi, watching old TV shows with my Pappy and of course having my favorite homemade meals. Most of all I miss their presence, and everything they have taught me.

1. There’s always something to eat. Always.

I have never been hungry while living with my grandparents, there’s always something yummy tempting me from the pantry or fridge.

2. It is a known fact that cookies made by grandma are far better than cookies made by anyone else.

3. You’ll come to appreciate the classics like, M*A*S*H, The Andy Griffith Show and even MacGyver.

Hawkeye, Klinger, Andy, and Barney are always up to something. It’s at least better than the news.

4. Losing weight isn’t an easy task. (See 1 and 2 for reference)

THE COOKIES. THEY’RE JUST SO GOOD.

5. Even pudgy they make you feel like the prettiest girl alive when you walk around in yesterday’s makeup and a bird’s nest of a messy bun.

Grandparents have a special way of seeing the best in you, even when the best is really, really, really hard to see in the moment.

6. Most of the time their friends are a lot cooler than your own.

Seriously. Their friends are funny and know just the right way to pick on you. Especially when you wear ripped jeans… “Did you pay for those things? They look like they’ve been worn to death!”

7. They also have a far healthier social life than I do- hello Monday, Wednesday, Friday line dance group, Tuesday and Thursday exercise class, Thursday morning golf, Friday morning breakfast and Friday lunch.

Meanwhile I’m struggling to manage all of my social commitments like work, and uh, work.

8. You learn a lot about relationships and love.

Seeing them so in love after all these years is reassuring that there’s hope for you after all.

9. You are now the designated tech savvy person. Wifi down? Autocorrect doing it’s thing ~too~ well? The Roku won’t connect to the Feeln channel and Mimi can’t watch her Hallmark movies? You’re now the hero and will be rewarded with some sort of food.

Because turning it off and back on again isn’t just for the IT Specialist.

10. When the time comes to return back to school in August it will be much harder to leave and you will more than likely cry. The good thing is, you can always come back home.

There’s just something about leaving them that makes it harder. Maybe it’s the cookies, endless support or the fact that you no longer can move from all of the eating… But it’s probably because you love them so much.