When you’re sick at school, making tea water out of your Keurig and heating up cans of soup in the microwave, it’s okay to miss your mom and the comfort that she brings. Call your family when you’re sitting in your bed with your tv remote and box of tissues. Tell them that you miss them, and I’m sure you’ll hear them tell you that they miss you too. Your mom may tell you how much and what kind of medicine to take for your symptoms, after all she has been taking care of you since you were a little kid. Let her tell you what to do, listen to her instructions, and tell her you wish she was with you. In her place, I hope you will have people who can fill your family’s shoes when you need someone to lean on.

When you’re happy as can be, eating dinner in the dining hall with your small group of friends, it’s okay to miss your family. Family dinners at home are special, and I’m sure you’ll have great dinners with your newfound family at school, but it’s alright if you miss your family too. When you’re sitting in class, or doing homework, or cramming for finals in the library, it’s okay to miss your family. You’re going to remember how you used to sit next to your sister at the kitchen table to study together, and now you sit at the table with strangers who you met only weeks ago studying together for your Psychology final. Even if you’re happy, it’s okay to feel like you’re missing where you come from.

But that’s just it. Life’s not only about where you are right in the moment. Every single opportunity you encounter, every single person who affects you, shapes you into who you are. So it’s right to feel like you miss home when you’re in a new home. The thing is, you just can’t let it cloud your everyday experiences. Miss your home, miss your family, but love your home and love your family even more because of your feelings of nostalgia. Enjoy what you’re living through, but also let yourself reflect on who helped you get to the present day and what has shaped you.