There is no feeling like coming home. I have been counting down the days until my family comes up to New York and picks me up to go to Virginia for Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong. My first months of college at Stony Brook have been amazing. I've met incredible people and made new friends. There are so many activities on campus, participating in Zumba and going to performances to support my friends.

But classes have gotten harder and a bit stressful as we get closer to the end of the semester. The finals craze is upon us after all. Coming home just to relax and spend time with my family refreshed the dullness I started to feel with my mind constantly focused on trying to understand Calculus II and hybridization in Chemistry.

I spent time with my younger siblings. I helped them as much as I could with their homework and projects. My brother is turning 13 next week and it shocks me every time how fast he is growing. He's taller than me and weighs the same as me now, not to mention how deep his voice has gotten. He even has a little mustache. We shot some hoops on our driveway and watched his new favorite show on Netflix, "The Flash." Oh boy, he's obsessed with "Fortnite." I attempted to play a game, but I died instantly in the storm.

My younger sister loves to try new makeup looks. She knows how to apply makeup far better than me, but I gave it a go. While I was applying my makeup on her, my best friend back home, May, was watching and doing the voiceover for our makeup tutorial. It's silly because I was beating her face a little too hard but it was a masterpiece. We'll never ever post that video. It'll be a treasured home video.

May held a pajama party with a few close friends. I do not have pajamas at home because I literally brought everything with me when I moved to Stony Brook. Nobody is trying to drive all the way up to New York from Virginia to drop off anything, so I thought it would be smart to bring EVERYTHING. We went to buy pajamas from Target and I ended up bringing a matching set for my sister, too.

We did a potluck and caught up with our current college situations. So much has happened in the last three months and I only wish the best for my friends. We took pictures and called it a night. I don't eat on campus as I do at home. Every time I ate this weekend, I was in a food coma. The following morning we went to the Halal Guys location in Springfield, Virginia before I headed back home.

Driving off my driveway is always hard. I love my home so much. I miss my parents and siblings already. I miss my friends. It's funny really. There's always some trouble going back home and I'm thankful that I live miles away. On the other hand, I'm stressed and worried about grades and exams here and I'm thankful to go back home to de-stress and hug my family. There's a balance between home and school that I am grateful to have.

Coming back home, I noticed new things about my family as they age. My mom and dad packed me pomegranates, dates, grapes, hummus, some home dishes like biryani, Cheerios, and granola because they know I do not like sugary treats. My parents know me so well. Of course they do — they are my parents. But I've never noticed how well before.

We went to Costco on Friday and they had everything I wanted in the cart before I had the chance to look for myself! I noticed my little brother, not a hugger, gives me hugs only when he wants something. I noticed my sister changes the topic when she doesn't want to talk about something. I noticed how sarcastic May actually is.

Until December 20th, I wonder what new things I'll notice about my family and friends as the days go on.