I've been on "summer" break for a little over three weeks now and I think I've finally adjusted to being back in the 419. This was a strange adjustment because for a second there I felt lost in my own house, as I was trying to get back into the swing of things.
There are upsides and downsides to every situation, and that is no different when it comes to moving from an 8' by 12' dorm room to home sweet home. Taking that into consideration, here are some of the pros and cons of moving home for the summer.
Pro: Homemade meals
For the next four months, my food will be made just how I like it, either by myself or by my parents. There's just something about homemade meals that cannot be topped.
Con: No more meal plan
Sure that cafeteria food got nasty after the first two weeks, but it was always nice to walk into the marketplace and splurge on whatever food or snacks you wanted without having to directly pay for them.
Pro: Your own room
This says it all. You finally have your own personal sanctuary back and it feels as if order has been restored to the universe.
Con: Your roommate isn't there.
The first thing I did when I woke up on my first morning back home was look to the other side of my room to see if my roommate was there. It was mostly out of habit because after living with someone for eight months, you just kind of expect them to be there.
Pro: Alone time
Ah yes, finally space and time to detox from all the human interaction you just had for the past eight months.
Con: Loneliness
Let's face the facts, you fade away from quite a few of your friends back home when you go away to college. Therefore, a good portion of your friends are in your college town and you miss them more and more every day.
Pro: The friends you didn't lose touch with are all home too.
You will pick up right where you left off like you didn't just spend the past eight months away from each other.
Con: The people you are not so fond of are also here.
You may not like them but you just ran into them in public, so time to fake your way through that encounter.
It's definitely nice to be home for the summer, but there are downsides. However, one of the most exciting parts of coming home is you get to get excited to move back to campus all over again.