We were all so excited to move out for the first time, to be on our own and have the freedom that we always wanted. Part of me wishes that I hadn’t rushed that last summer as much as I did, that I had spent some more time at home. Don’t get me wrong — having freedom is incredible and having my own place gives me a sense of responsibility I can’t get anywhere else. But nothing beats home.

I figured I wasn’t the only college student or young adult still on somewhat of a college student budget who misses the luxuries of life with the ‘rents that we always took for granted but now cherish.

So I’m going to share the struggle, starting with the obvious:

1. Home-Cooked Meals

I can cook every night of the week, but it will never be the same as hearing my mom yell, “Dinner is ready!” before we sit around a table as a family to eat a hot meal. Because let's face it, my paychecks don’t make the kind of meals that I grew up on, and while I used to eat Ramen Noodles for fun, they have become all-too-familiar to my pantry these days.

2. Nice Toilet Paper

I never truly valued Charmin and Cottonelle until I moved out, bought a couple packs myself and quickly realized how fast I went through the stuff. That’s when I knew I wasn’t home anymore. When we were in middle school and high school, we rolled houses with that stuff. Now, you wouldn’t catch me doing that. Mainly because every sheet matters when you have to pay an arm and a leg for it.

3. Free Rent

Oh boy, how I miss living somewhere and not having to pay rent and monthly utilities. Never have I been so conscious about turning lights off and taking shorter showers. Now that I’m paying for all my own water and power, I often find myself thinking I want to live by candlelight and take showers in my bathing suit with my roomie like the old days just so we can save some money.

4. Grocery Store Trips

Every time I go to the grocery store, I am so tempted to walk down the aisles and just grab things that catch my eye. As a kid, I loved to go to the store with my mom, and I still do because it means I get to leave the store with some sort of tasty treat. But now that I do all of my own grocery shopping, I cringe as I hear each item beep across the scanner, knowing my total is only going up from here.

5. The Dish Fairy

I think we can all attest to the mornings when we are running super late for class or work and we quickly throw our dishes in the sink. When we were younger, we might have come home to those dishes washed and already put away. I miss that dish fairy. Because the last thing I want to see after a long, stressful day is a pile of dishes. And to be really honest, they’re probably going to sit there for a couple of days if it’s just one of those weeks.

6. Warm, Wrinkle-Free, Folded Laundry

I’ve gotten to the point when, sometimes most of the time, I don’t even put my clothes away. They go from the dryer to a basket, and then it sits in my room, and I’ll live out of it for a while. I miss the days when my sweet mother would fold my clothes and they would be on the stairs waiting for me when I got home.

7. Clean Sheets

One of the worst things ever is changing your sheets. Like ever. It’s like a workout in itself and just so time-consuming. Oh, what I would give to go back to the days of not having to do it myself. I know that sounds bad, but I didn’t realize how good I had it until I changed my sheets for the first time in my dorm room freshman year. Probably one of the most difficult tasks ever.

8. Gas Money

You know when your parents had like extra cash laying around, found money in the washer or were just feeling really generous? Yeah, well, that was some much needed gas money that I dream about to this day. The amount of driving I have to do just to get everything done that’s required of me as a college student, I feel like we should get a monthly stipend or something. But those were the days, when you would come downstairs and your mom was already gone but she left you $20 on the counter with a note that said, “Have a great day, love you!” The only notes on my counter nowadays are my to-do lists and bills.

9. Mom’s Remedies For When You're Sick

Being sick sucks, but being sick when you’re away from home without the care of your momma is even worse. When you feel like you “just can’t” anymore and you don’t even want to get out of bed, you just want your mom to bring you soup and keep the medicine coming. Well, living on your own sucks because you’re forced to get yourself out of bed and make your own soup, no matter how crappy you feel. Wishing I had embraced those sick days more now that I’m left to fend for myself.

With all of that being said, I have to say thank you. Thank you to my mom, my family and everyone else who helped raise me. I’ve grown up so incredibly blessed, and I couldn’t be more thankful. I wouldn’t be who I am without you all. Thanks for teaching me everything I know. I’m so glad that I had each and every one of you all to teach me your tips for survival.