This summer, many college freshmen, like me, packed up their childhood rooms and headed off for their first semester of school away from their friends and their families. In the first few weeks and periodically throughout the entire semester, I missed home-cooked meals, bickering and laughing with my sister and my friends from high school. But then, it hit me. Something was different. Something was missing. It had four legs and a stumpy, little wagging tail. I missed my miniature schnauzer, Teddy, more than I could have ever imagined.

To my little man, Teddy,

I still remember the day I left you at home. I wasn't that worried about leaving you then because I knew I would be able to come back for Labor Day to visit you, but you didn't know that. You saw my bags lined up in the hallway earlier that day and immediately had to investigate. You ran up the stairs to my room where I was trying not to forget anything and then you would run back down the steps to make sure that those bags were still there and that I was, indeed, still planning on leaving. You didn't know why. You didn't know for how long. All you knew is that I was leaving.

And the more I'm here, the more I miss you. I've had many days where I have come back to my dorm from a long day of classes and I've half expected to open the door to you leaping in and bounding towards me in the same way you did during high school. Coming home to a bouncing ball of brown and white fluff was the highlight of every day.

I miss our walks. As much as I complained about having to take you out and even more so during the colder months, it was part of our routine. Now, I would do anything to take you on a walk if it meant getting away from studying for just a few minutes. And I can't forget about our car rides!

I think the thing that I miss the most about being away from you is how goofy you are and how you have the ability to make me smile on my hardest days. Whether it's barking at things that aren't there, thinking that you're cooler than the cat and always being proven wrong, or putting every possible thing you can find on the floor in your mouth, they are all "Teddy things" and things that I miss while I've been away at school.

If you were here with me right now, you would most likely be curled up at the bottom of my feet keeping them warm. So, until I come home again, keep checking my bedroom every day to see if I'm there because come Wednesday, December 14th, I'll be back in my room and you'll be there to nestle under my blankets. I love you and miss you, little man!