I know a couple people that this has happened to, actually. You choose a college, and maybe it’s far away from home, maybe not. And suddenly, right before (or during) your time there, your family tells you the news. You’re moving! Isn’t that exciting?

Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t. In my case, it was kind of both. It was exciting in that, I’ve lived in Maryland for most of my life, so it’s really cool to move somewhere else and discover a different “culture”, so to speak. It was also nice that my trip home for breaks went from about 24 hours by car, to 9 hours by car. I’m now far enough away to still be independent, but also close enough that if I really needed my family here, it could happen in a day without costing hundreds of dollars. That’s pretty cool!

However, it’s also kind of weird. When people ask me where I’m from, or where I live, it’s difficult to answer properly without telling my whole life story. I was born in Dallas, Texas, and then moved to Maryland not long after. But in my first semester of Junior year, we moved back to Texas. Technically, answering Texas for the “where are you from” question wouldn’t be wrong. I was born there and I currently live there. Nonetheless, I spent most of my life living in Maryland, so I know more about Maryland culture than I do about Texas culture. So, the question is usually followed by stuttering and, “um… I guess Texas?”, with confusion from the questioner.

It’s odd for those families that move to a completely different state, especially one that’s pretty far away. When I go home for breaks, it’s hard to figure out what to do. Spending time with family is nice, and checking out the local tourist spots are great too. Still, it makes you miss friends from back home that you could hang out with. As a college student who only goes home once a semester and during summers, it’s particularly hard to make new friends, mainly because you have no idea where to start looking. And video calls with friends are nice, but they’re no substitute for the real thing.

I know people that have moved across the country, or just to a different part of the same state, and either way, it’s still kind of weird. It’s not that you can’t call your new home, “home”. It’s just that if what you had known previously was “home” for most of your life, this new place feels weird, even if there are perks to it.