There really is no place better than San Diego, if you ask me. But I guess everyone would say that about their hometown -- their city is the best city in America. And that’s just it; to them, their hometown really is the best city in the world, because why wouldn’t it be? We’ve grown up in our home for almost two decades; we're bound to be impartial when it comes to which city is really the best. Needless to say, I’ve always thought highly about San Diego, but it wasn’t until I left for college that I really started appreciating how great my home truly is.

First and foremost, returning to your physical house is incomparable. There is something about coming home from college, whether it’s for a long break or just a short weekend, that is just so satisfying. I know when I come home, I don’t have to really wash my dishes, take out the trash, or (my personal favorite) pay for my laundry. But of course, none of this compares to seeing your family and pets after a long time of being away. There’s not a more familiar bunch of faces than your family, and being “reunited” with them after a while is absolutely amazing. It’s tough to explain, but even laying around the house with them is 100 times better now than it was when I still lived here.

The summer before I left for school, my friends and I had a pretty solid weekly routine: work, shop, eat, beach, repeat. We all knew it was great at the time, but don’t even get me started on how great it is now -- especially because I don’t have to work while I’m here visiting. Walking around my favorite mall or beach is beyond relaxing; it’s what I’m used to and comfortable with. There’s not a lot of places I can walk into and think “this is where I belong,” but practically every time I come home, I find one more place that means more to me than I had ever imagined. You may not even realize the little routines you have while you’re still living at home, but I promise the moment you come back, everything falls into place and you start to miss things you didn’t even know you had.

Sure, going away for school is hard, but I appreciate that leaving has made me appreciate my hometown. You don’t really know how much you love home until you leave, because up until now I didn’t even realize what I was taking for granted. Being truly comfortable in a place is not necessarily a common feeling, but that’s what makes leaving so important- to truly understand what makes up a “home” and how great coming home really is. Whether it’s your friends, family, or a special place, it will mean even more to you the first time you see it/them after being away. Simply put in the words of Dorothy, there’s simply no place like home.