Being in college is great. There are many opportunities, so many new people, and so much freedom. However, this new phase in my life has made me begin to reminisce on a time in my life when things were much simpler—elementary school. Here are some of the things I miss the most from being a K-5 student:

1. My mom making plans for me.

In elementary school, my mom was my personal secretary. She took and made all calls on my behalf. My social schedule filled up without me even having to lift a finger. Honestly, most of my best friends are my best friends because my mom penciled them in for a playdate in 1^st grade.

2. Having no social media.

Life was way more simple without the constant intrusion of social media in my life. In elementary school, I just hung out with my friends without having to make a Snapchat story. I would go on vacation and make actual physical albums of my photos, rather than Instagramming them or making an album on Facebook. It was so much easier to just live and embrace the moment that I was in without any social media. There is something so special and pure about being unplugged from the rest of the world and just simply being with the people, and taking in the surroundings around you.

3. Making a big deal out of birthdays.

In elementary school, birthdays were the biggest deal, and everyone went out of their way to make you feel like a complete rock-star on your special day. Everyone would bring in a special treat for the class to eat, your teacher would write you a super nice birthday card telling you how awesome you are, and you would parade around the school hallways in your birthday crown feeling like the best thing since sliced bread. In elementary school, I knew when everyone in my class’ birthday was, because how could you not know a day as important as someone’s birthday? Slowly, as each year passes, birthdays are celebrated and acknowledged less and less.

4. Nintendogs, Tamagotchi, and Webkinz.

These three games are the epitomy of my elementary school career. I took care of my Nintendogs as if they were my own children. And not to brag, but they were the Nintendogs frisbee champs. Nothing made me prouder than when my Tamogatchi had a baby, or when my Tamagotchi pooped. My hefty supply of Webkinz can attest for my love for playing the Wishing Well, decorating my pets’ rooms, going to the Curio Shop, and dressing up my Webkinz to compete in Webkinz Supermodelz. There is something to be said for finding such joy in these simple games. I miss the days of playing Webkinz at my playdates, training my Nintendogs in the back seat of the car, and getting scolded by my parents for playing with my Tamogatchi at the dinner table.

5. Class parties.

Even after being at college for over a month, there is still no party that beats the class parties in elementary school. No one knows how to throw a party quite like the class parents do. For Halloween, everyone would dress up, we would wrap the teacher up like a mummy in toilet paper, and stuff our faces with candy corn. For the winter party, we would cut out snowflakes and eat white frosted cupcakes to some catchy Holiday tunes. I’ve never felt more loved than at the Valentine’s Day party when I would receive 20 valentines from my classmates, because we wouldn’t want to leave anyone out. I would come home, stuff my face with Hershey Kisses, feeling pretty darn good about myself.