Finals week seems to last forever when you just want to get home. Packing, studying, and taking exams are all activities that I wouldn't do for fun. The motivation to get home, however, can make all of those tedious activities go by much quicker. When you finally do get to go home, it will be a change for sure. Here are ten thoughts that I have had since being home:

1. “How did I go nine months without seeing my dog every day?”

How could I go a day without this furry piece of happiness in my life? I missed her kisses and how she barks at everything that moves. I would like to think that most of my stressors this past semester could have been avoided by having my pup by my side.

2. “Or without a warm meal?! AND a full fridge?”

I can’t believe I ever ate the dining hall food, or that I had a fridge that fit about three things of leftovers in it before it got tight on space. It's amazing being able to eat a meal that actually fills your stomach, actually gives you nutrition, and nurtures your soul.

3. “I can’t wait to shower without shower shoes!”

Oh, the glory of a bare-footed shower. A simple pleasure that was overlooked by the younger versions of myself, a now given luxury. To be able to walk into the shower without a shower caddy, without wearing clunky shower flip flops, has to be one of God's most simple pleasures.

4. “Getting this much sleep feels like a sin.”

You mean getting more than five hours of sleep is not against the law somewhere? For me in particular, after 8 months worth of 6:00 AM practices, I feel as though I am doing something wrong when I don't set an alarm for the next morning. Going to bed early without having to stay up late with work, and waking up late without any real responsibilities definitely feels like a sin.

5. “Wait... the laundry machine is down the hall and not down six flights of stairs?”

In my freshman dorm, the laundry machine was in the basement and I was on the third floor. The trek up and down the stairs, often with two bags of laundry, was a rogue hike to complete. Most times it took more energy to find the motivation to do laundry than it took to actually do the laundry.

6. “I missed my family.”

Most of high school was spent waiting or the day to move out. The fantasies you had about moving out hardly amounted to the harsh reality you met when you were suddenly alone at school. The shenanigans of living at home had a larger part of your heart than you thought, and you find yourself more than excited to be a part of the craziness again.

7. “Ahh, my own room with my own bed.”

Now this is what solitude feels like. Being able to sleep and wake on your own schedule is something that just doesn’t happen for the nine months that you’re at college. Whether it be the noisy neighbor or the constant opening and closing of doors in the hallway, there is never really a quiet night's worth of sleep. That being said, you still do miss the visits from your nice neighbors across the hall.

8. “Isn’t there something I should be doing right now?”

After doing everything on hyper speed for the past nine months, you can’t help but feel as though there is something that you should be doing. Slowing down and appreciating each moment is something that you haven't done for quite some time. Take each day as a chance to slow down from the craziness at college, and learn to breatheagain.

9. “Wasn’t high school like yesterday?”

Driving by your high school is one of the weirdest feelings. Especially for me, since this was my first year at school. It felt like I had just left my last day of high school only yesterday. It doesn't seem possible that I have already spent a full two semesters at college. This only reminds you to cherish each moment that you are in because it will all fly by before you know it.

10. “I really don’t want to unpack.”

The dreaded moment will come when your parents make you unpack your things. I had to start unpacking today, and I can testify that it is much easier to throw everything in suitcases and bins to go to college than it is to come home. Organizing takes patience, but once unpacking is complete you will feel much more at peace.