Life in college can be weird, but going back home can feel even stranger. Now that the majority of my time is spent far away from home, college starts to feel like home, but we know it's not. Coming home made me feel a little more thankful for the people and experiences at my home away from home. I never say it enough, but thank you.

Thank you to my roommate and best friend. You’ve made leaving my family as easy as it could be. You constantly bring joy into my life. Whether it be a crazy night out and me convincing you to do something stupid or a night in where we watch movies and play the typical roommate roles, I could not be more grateful to have met you and gotten to live with you. Although there are nights we make each other mad and need distance, I couldn’t imagine living and fighting with anyone else. Also, thank you for giving me another family. Knowing my parents can’t get to me in an instant is unsettling, but because of you, I now have a group of people willing to do just what my parents can’t from miles away. Thank you for reminding me to live more freely and worry less. Thank you for reminding me to enjoy the small things.

Thank you to my hometown friend who goes to the same school as me. Thank you for being there to talk about how much we miss home. Thanks for giving the sense of comfort we both miss so much. Thank you for coming over for dinners and watching movies. Thank you for understanding my irrational problems. I am forever grateful I have someone to talk to who already knows the people from home and makes explaining things easier. Thank you for being the one to convince me to do things I wouldn’t have done back home. Thank you for taking me out of my comfort zone and bringing me comfort simultaneously.

Thank you to the new people I’ve met who have made college feel like home. College isn’t home, but neither is home anymore. Everything is weird, but because of the new people in my life, I can consider it a new type of home. Thank you for coming into my life and adding personality I’ve never seen before. Thank you for letting your new experiences mix with mine and creating memories with me. Although it’s still early in the year, thank you.

Leaving home was never going to be easy, but leaving was the best choice I’ve made. I’m thankful for the experiences some people will never know. I’m thankful to know what it’s like to have a home away from home.