We’re halfway through summer. Yeah sure, it’s nice to be home. During finals week, this was our collective dream. Who doesn’t love spending time with their family, finally eating real food again and returning to a normal sleep schedule?
But once your dream summer of going to the beach and hanging out with friends every day turns into working a summer job and watching Netflix, you start to realize how much you miss Providence. You may even be spending those hot summer days dreaming of sitting in Ruane with your Dunkin' iced coffee watching the snow fall down outside.
Don’t worry. We’ve all been there.
If you think you may be coming down with a case of Friartown withdrawals, look out for these symptoms:
1. The Dunkin' Webcam
Don’t say you haven’t checked it at least once since you’ve left. And after you checked it, you either felt depressed that Slavin is as empty as the library on a Friday night or cried from happiness when you saw someone mildly familiar.
2. DWC References
It’s okay. We won’t tell anyone if you just quoted Plato’s "The Republic" to your very confused group of high school friends. And we definitely won’t tell anyone about that Dante’s "Inferno" joke you just made (and only you laughed at).
3. Intramural Prep
You spend your free time (between the summer job and the Netflix bingeing) thinking about strategy for your flag football team next fall. You practice. You plot. You WILL be getting that free t-shirt.
4. Early Morning Mass Confusion
You mean people actually go to Mass this early on Sunday mornings? I thought you only go at 10:30 at night? And why am I surrounded by old people and babies? And why aren’t they playing “Oceans”? And there'll be food downstairs after, right?
5. PC Secure
You almost start feeling the slightest longing for PC Secure. Almost.
6. Big Tony’s Cravings
Okay, so maybe this one happens during the school year, too, but you can’t deny that those cravings have gotten worse since you moved out of your dorm room in May. Your hometown pizza will never compare.
7. National Championship Reminiscing
If you find yourself rewatching the National Championship game highlights when you’re sitting all alone on a Saturday night, don’t fret. This is a perfectly normal symptom. Just don’t try to relive the memories too much and end up burning any couches.
8. PC Squirrels
You probably have quickly realized that most squirrels in the world are not as friendly and quirky as Friartown squirrels. And that is a sad, sad realization.
9. Snow Day Dreams
You may find yourself sitting at work, daydreaming of those blizzarding February days. As brutal as that winter was, who wouldn’t want to get a tray from Alumni Hall and go sledding down Guzman Hill right now?
10. Lawn Maintenance
It’s 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday and your wonderful neighbor decides to cut his lawn. Sound familiar? And you’re not even mad. If anything, this will simply bring on a wave of fresh cut nostalgia.
11. Chicken Nugget Day
Okay, maybe you don’t miss Ray food (you can’t deny that Mom’s food trumps all). But a little part of you dies when you don’t eat chicken nuggets every single Thursday ... even if the line does always stretch out to Dot (who you also miss terribly).
12. RIPTA
You may start reminiscing about particularly crazy RIPTA stories. Don’t worry, there'll be more to come. And the RIPTA will most likely be late for all them, too.
13. Facebook Stalking
It’s okay. We’ve all done this. You’ve gone back through all your friends’ pictures and reminisced over every single selfie you’ve ever taken. However, you’ll all be reunited (not soon enough). Plus, you won’t be running out of Throwback Thursday pictures to annoy everybody with for the next eight weeks. You’re stocked for life.
Whether you’re suffering from one symptom or all 13, know that there is a cure out there. But unfortunately, you won't reach that cure until you drive through the Huxley Gate next month.
#gofriars
