After you've been away from home for awhile, it will never quite be the same when you return. Whether it's from college, serving a mission, or traveling, once you've been on your own, tasted what independence is like, and spread your wings, returning home can feel a bit suffocating.

When you are back home it can become easy to feel like you are back pedaling. Your parents are trying to do everything for you because that's what they've done all your life. Walking into your room might feel like being transported back into the past, because you've changed since the last time you were home. It can be a difficult adjustment coming home after being away.

You're not the same person you were the last time you were at home. You've grown, learned a lot about yourself and the world, and you've experienced a kind of independence that once tasted makes it nearly impossible to step backwards from. So it is totally understandable if you don't quite feel as comfortable as you once did at home.

Your parents are just trying to do what they've always done and take care of you. In their eyes you will always be a child, no matter what age you are, so try to be understanding when they unknowingly smother you. They are growing and learning just as you are and it can be difficult to accept the fact that their child has grown up. They are learning to let go, which can be hard, so be patient with them.

Whether you are home for the summer, a short break, or back for a long while, just know that it is completely normal to feel this way. You are like a bird that has been released from its cage, experienced the joy of flight, and then sent back into your cage. After you've flown and experienced life beyond your cage, being back in it, even for a short time, can feel restrictive and uncomfortable.

Try to enjoy this time. Like most stages of life, it's not permanent, and it is completely normal to feel this way. Don't let yourself get discouraged by the way you feel. Feeling this way means you've successfully left the nest and are well on your way to being an independent adult.

Life is filled with changes and opportunities to learn from these changes. In life, we seek to progress. We want to continually be moving forward. However, at times when we feel like we are stationary or maybe even sliding backwards we can become frustrated or uneasy. So don't be too hard on yourself if you don't quite feel at home when you return home. Take it as a positive and realize that you are doing what you are meant to do; you are progressing and growing.