Do you ever feel like you were born in the wrong year? Do you ever want to be 5 steps ahead of where you are now? Well, I do. I am a 20 year old going on 25.

I blame my sister. It all started when I was in high school. I went and visited her in college. This basically ruined my high school career before it had even started. After that one visit, I was obsessed with college life. All I wanted to do was graduate and be free, living the life I had seen my sister live.

And now this summer. I lived and worked in New York City with her. I got up on my own time, made my own decisions and now I’m ready to graduate college tomorrow and book my flight back to NYC.

And let me tell you, I’m an expert at pretending like I’m 25. This entire summer I basically thought I was older because not only did I live with two 25-year-olds, but I also spent every minute at work with post grads. I had my own apartment. I made my own money. I was independent. I went to happy hour with my friends. As far as I was concerned I was an adult.

Then all good things came to an end and my summer was over. Now I am back at school starting my junior year wishing every day that I was back in East village living my 25-year-old altar ego. This has been the hardest part of college so far. Going back to reality and waking up from my NYC dream to realize that I am still 20 living in a twin bed going to class every day and living off of my parents. Sure college is amazing don’t get me wrong but after two years of the same old thing I’m getting tired of making the same mistakes and going to the same fraternities and doing the same things.

There is not a day that goes by where I do not think of my amazing summer and the city that I fell in love with. I am homesick for a place that I only called home for 3 months, and miss the people that made it what it was.