I love my little college. It boasts a beautiful campus, is small enough that professors know my name and I know half of the student body, and it has the programs that I am interested in. I have wonderful friends, I participate in campus events, and I have a job in my desired career field. The puzzle pieces appear to be all fitting into place, so why do I still get hit with fierce pangs of homesickness?

My little hometown is about five hours away from my school, so going home every weekend is not an option for me (nor do I think it would be ideal). While it is nice to know that it is possible to jump in my truck and head home for a few days, I sometimes get frustrated with myself for missing home so much. However, I'm learning to not beat myself up for having these feelings; they are totally understandable, and almost everyone else feels them from time to time.

I have lived in the same house for nearly all of my life. I started kindergarten and graduated with the same 250 people, and I worked at the town-favorite restaurant. Because of this, I was surrounded by the same faces throughout my entire childhood. It was so comfortable, so homey. Having to up and move five hours away from my safe place was the most anxiety-provoking thing I have ever done; it's not very often you have the opportunity to start a new life for yourself. Accustoming yourself to new friends, new surroundings, and a totally different way of life is immensely challenging. Having been in the same place with the same people for so long, it's really no wonder why we get homesick. The only life we've known has been completely altered, and we are forced to start from scratch.

I miss the smell of coffee as I walk down the stairs in the morning. I miss sitting down to dinner every night with my family, laughing and arguing and complaining to each other as we ate a home-cooked meal. I miss the conversations. I miss pulling into my driveway and feeling a sense of security, and I miss the comforting embrace of my parents (and my dog). But they aren't going anywhere.

It is okay to be homesick. It's perfectly normal to be feeling heartache over the life you used to know. However, we cannot let that slow us down. Families will be there when we return; we must take advantage of this time to explore life for ourselves. It has come the time when we need to start building a life for ourselves, but that does not mean we will forget where we came from. Mom and Dad are just a phone call away, and home is but a (lengthy) car ride. College will not last forever, but the memories and lessons that we learn throughout college will.