Coming home from college has to be one of the weirdest experiences ever, partially because it's like leaving a second home. There are pros and cons to living out of a suitcase for a couple weeks to a month, and things that you may have taken for granted before leaving for school become the best surprises.

1. Like home-cooked meals.

I'm so fortunate to go to a college ranked seventh in the nation in terms of university food quality, but sometimes the every-day dining hall shuffle, pop-tarts, oatmeal, hot-pockets, Ramen, and having to go to the only place that's open late for a half-decent sandwich isn't all it's cracked up to be.

2. Your animals.

Sure, they're super confused when you come back after disappearing for months on end, but they're just as happy, if not more happy, to see you. Not to mention the fact that you've been living off of mere pictures and Facebook videos of fuzzy, squirming bodies, so the minute you're reunited with your own little floof, it's pure happiness.

3. Your soft bed.

You don't realize how "hard" your dorm mattress is until you practically sink into the mattress of your old bed. I was exhausted from traveling and it was like sinking into a heaven cloud.

4. Your own room.

Nothing at all against roommates, but there's something about having a room to yourself where you don't have to worry about being overly messy and sneezing too loud and talking in your sleep.

5. FREE LAUNDRY.

PRAISE THE LORD for household washing machines that don't need quarters or card swipes. (I'm sorry, but when each wash and dry cycle is an official highway robbery transaction of $1.75, I am less motivated to do laundry at school and more inclined to let it pile up to the point where I actually have nothing left to wear. So when my mother told me to bring home all of my dirty laundry, I heard the hallelujah chorus.)

6. Favorite restaurants.

Granted, you can't just swipe or punch in at these establishments... But they will always be five steps up from dining hall food.

7. Favorite stores.

Sometimes going to school in a not-so-big town means not having all the shopping amenities at your fingertips. And sometimes you miss having a grocery store not even half a mile from your house.

8. The weather.

Depending on where you're originally from, this is a big one. Being able to come back to warmer or colder weather can put you back in your element. Literally.

9. Friends.

Sometimes it's hard knowing that the people you went to school with for 6+ years are all on their own tracks and building their lives elsewhere. But nothing beats when you can all gather again together over the break and make it feel like you just picked up right where you left off.

10. Family.

A day on campus is spent in and out of a temporary living space, in and out of a classroom with an adult that, for the most part, is still rather distanced from you... So coming home to a familiar place with people who know you and love you not only for your academics or extracurriculars is refreshing.