When you don’t live at home (due to school or what have you), it’s always a little awkward to come back. I haven’t lived in my house for over three years now, with the exception of some summer breaks and other holidays. I have two younger siblings that have also moved out of our parents’ house and have experienced the awkwardness of returning, even if it’s for a short amount of time.
1. Disorienting
Whether it’s because you haven’t been in your home for a long time, or maybe it’s because your parents decided to move some things around, there’s always a “fun house” effect when coming back to your childhood home.
2. Too much stuff
Entering your room for the first time in a while makes you feel like you’ve been a hoarder all your life. It’s probably because you’re forced to live in smaller living conditions back at your school or apartment.
3. Boredom sets in quick
It’ll be nice to be back in your own home, room, and bed for a week or a few days, but after a short stretch, you’re going to start missing where you’ve made a temporary life. Especially if you’ve made new friends somewhere else, everything at home will seem irrelevant.
4. Hunger takes on a new meaning
Since you’ve been forced to live off your campus’s cafeteria food, your body has become unaware of what it’s like to have an actual meal with actual substance. Suddenly that simple grilled cheese your mom used to make you tastes like a gourmet feast. Hint: butter cures an empty stomach.
5. Full house
If you have siblings, the house you used to share with them will start to feel too small for comfort. Waiting for your brother to get out of the shower so that you can brush your teeth will become something you miss back at school not having to do in the morning.
6. Growing up actually happens
When you sit together for family dinners, you’ll learn about the things your siblings have learned at school and the new philosophies they have adapted to. You’ll share with them your own experiences and realize that maybe you just don’t fit in at home anymore.
7. Nothing lasts forever
This is something that first year college students will experience when they go out of state for college: coming home for holiday and seasonal breaks will go by more quickly than anticipated, and maybe that’s something you’re not ready for. You’ll be sad to say goodbye to your family again, but once you get back to school, it’ll all seem so much easier than it was before.
Going out of state for college is a rare thing these days. It’s a shame that not many students expand their horizons past college, because there’s so much to be gained from it. I know that it’s not for everyone, but even my brother tried it for a semester. The most important thing to consider when deciding on where you want to go for college, or even where you want to go after college is this: your home will always be your home. But adventure is out there.
