As we reach the end of winter break college students all over are ready to go back to school. We miss our friends. We miss our extracurriculars. We miss the campus. We miss the freedom. And, again, we miss our friends. We are ready to get back in the swing of things, even if that means doing homework and studying again.

However, even though we are excited to go back that does not mean we haven't appreciated and needed the time at home. I firmly believe that recharging is necessary for everyone, even extroverts. At school we are surrounded by people 24/7 in a way that is different from being home. When we are at home the people we live with are, typically, our family. We have been living with these people our entire lives and because of that a lot of times they are easier to live with. You can talk to your family in a way you can't talk to your friends. You can act in ways with your family that you can't with your friends.

For example, for me I can talk to my siblings in a way I would never talk to my friends. Siblings poke each other's buttons on purpose to drive each other absolutely insane in a way you just don't with your friends. At home I can also slack off on my chores in a way I would never at school. After living with my family for 20 years if my dad tells me to put my dish in the dishwasher there is a lot less at stake than if one of my roommates did. And lastly it's a lot easier to have some space at home. Your home is probably a lot bigger than your dorm or apartment or even house, and your family understands if you just want to sit in your room by yourself all day.

Don't get me wrong, it's super fun to live with your friends, but sometimes we just need a break. We don't need a break because we don't love our roommates, because we do, but because we just need time to recharge. After spending day in and day out with the same people for months it is only natural that we need to spend some time away from them. As they say absence makes the heart grow fonder. And while that is typically applied to romantic relationships it's true for friendships too. Spending some time away from your friends at school makes you appreciate them in a new way and gives you time to recharge.