When I first came to NCSU as a freshman, I had never been away from my family for such a lengthened amount of time. I knew I would miss them, but I was so in love with my new independence that I refused to let homesickness overtake me for months. In my mind, I thought I would be weak if I let myself miss my family. I could not have been more mistaken. A year later, I have no shame in saying that I miss coffee runs with my mom, lunch dates with my dad, and exploring the town with my brother. My younger brother and I have always been close, but my relationship with my parents has grown much stronger since I have been in college. Being away makes me realize how much I took for granted coming home to dinner made by my mother or watching a movie with my dad. My family is a blessing to me. No matter how old you are, don’t think that it is weird or uncool to call your parents while you’re away. Missing family is something that we all understand.
- I miss coming home and knowing that my mother would have dinner made. This is a stereotypical college kid thing, but everyone loves it when someone makes them a home cooked meal. Something about that meal being made by mom makes it even better.
- Walking past my brother’s room and hearing him give me fashion advice as I pass. Honestly, I admire my brother’s style and trust him to tell me what looks good and what I could go without. As siblings, we are constantly helping each other pick outfits for whatever we are going to. I could always count on him to be blatant with me.
- Visiting my dad at work. My father has owned a small business since I was a child, so I grew up playing around in his store. Watching him interact with customers always makes me proud to be his daughter. He is well known in the town due to the stellar customer service. Whenever people hear that I am his daughter, they are always welcoming to me.
- Waking up to my dog jumping on my bed. Truthfully, I tend to get annoyed when I am woken up in the middle of the night, but my dog is always welcome in my room. She believes that she is still a puppy and therefore, takes up over half of my bed when she stays in my room. Despite my best efforts, I cannot kick her out of the room. She is much too precious.
- Coffee/lunch dates with my parents. Sitting and talking with them in the local café or pizza restaurant is always one of my favorite things. We never run out of things to talk about and it has helped solidify the fact that my parents can also be my friends.
I am incredibly grateful to have a family that loves me so much. I can count on them no matter what. Though I love my home at NC State, I always look forward to going home to the mountains.
