Dear Mom and Dad, Grandmas and Grandpas, Aunts and Uncles, Sisters and Brothers, and Cousins,

I have missed you all so much. You have absolutely no idea how much I have missed you. I love getting phone calls and texts from you all. I cannot be more excited to come home for the holiday season and spend as much time with you as I can. But I want you to know something.

I have made some really great friends here, people I consider a part of my family and being away from them is going to be hard. Almost as hard as it was for me to leave home and come here. I might spend some time on my phone talking with them, catching up, because that is what is normal for me, for us. I am not use to being away from them and it might be a little weird for me at first. Please do not get annoyed with my clinginess and my moods. I am used to being with my friends all day and night. We are constantly talking and cuddling and just being with each other all the time. It’s going to be weird for me not to have that while I am home. I am probably going to be gushing about people you have never met, people you might not have heard of, and other times I might be quiet when you ask me a question or I might give you a short response. And I’m sorry for that. Some of the stories I might tell you, might seem not as funny as I think they are and I might get a little annoying, please stop me if I am.

I want to be with you all and spend as much time as I can with you, but I am going to be missing my home. I know I know, your home will always be my home, but college has become my home too. I have spent so much time here that I consider this to be my home. I do not want to make any of you feel as if I don’t miss you, or miss home, because I do. It’s just different now.

I have two homes now.

Please do not take my behavior towards being home to heart. I love you and am happy to be with you. I am going to miss my friends, my bed, even the crappy showers. I am going to miss my RA, the hike to the dining halls, the bus, everything. But just know that when I am here I am missing everything about home. I am in this weird place where I don’t quite belong here or there and I am always missing something wherever I am. But I promise to make the most of my stay with you this holiday season.

Because I love you. And miss spending time with you. I miss waking up to the smell of pancakes, I miss arguing over who is going to shower first, I miss holding the babies and snuggling with the cats. I miss everything about home and you guys. You're my family, my rock, my support system, my people. I have missed you all so much you have no idea what it is like without you all.

I love you all so much and miss you terribly. I cannot wait to come home and tell you about my life and ask about yours, and just spend time with you.

I love you to the moon and back,

Your College Girl