Have you ever watched your dog run up to the window barking, fixating its eyes on you as you reverse down the driveway? With its eyes heavy, and a face that reads “please don’t leave me!” It’s pathetic. That’s how I imagine how I look myself when it comes to saying goodbye to my friends and family as I head back to school.

Throughout the years, it’s come to my attention that I’ve become more of an emotional person. Ever since my senior year of high school, it seems like I’ve actually developed feelings for others and have developed more of a compassionate heart. Leaving my friends and family behind for college for the first time last year was hard as only a few tears were shed. However, this year, (one would’ve thought the process would have been easier during round two but in fact, it was worse) the waterworks were flowing and my face resembled the Joker, somewhat, as I said goodbye with my makeup running down my face, and black circles under my eyes.

When I had come home from school for previous breaks or holidays saying goodbye to my friends and family wasn’t hard. After all, it wasn’t goodbye…it was more of a see you later. After fall break, for example, I would be coming home the next month for Thanksgiving, and the next month Christmas. It’s ironic because when I would come home, it didn’t exactly feel like my home anymore.

The funny thing about life is that you can never get too comfortable because things might not end the way you would've planned. Even after spending a month at home during Christmas break, and having lived under my parents’ roof, sleeping in my large, luxurious bed with my puffy duvet (let’s be honest, the XL twin beds in the Hill aren’t the most comfortable things) it still didn’t feel quite like the home I was used to. I was used to being far away; I was used to the dorm life.

Now that summer has finally come to a drastic and tragic end, I found that I had become a little too comfortable living at home for the past three months. I’d put off many things such as packing my many bags and saying my goodbyes — only because I didn’t know how to say them properly without breaking down and making a scene.

It’s obvious that the more time you spend with someone, the more attached you become and clearly, it makes it harder to leave. I’ve gotten used to the recent lifestyle of spending quality time back at home with the people whom mean the most to me. But, having been back at school, I’ve realized that saying goodbye will never get easier. In fact, I find it only to get harder in the future. With the many upcoming opportunities regarding my career and education, chances are I may be traveling more often and spending more time farther away from home. What matters isn’t the distance between, but the amount of communication that’s put forth. With enough time and effort dedicated, it won’t even feel like you’ve left and said your goodbyes. Daily phone calls, texts, and FaceTimes can go a long way, as well as planning trips to visit one another. As DJ Khaled would say, "Communication is the key to success."