Living close to college has a major advantage – you can go home often. Of course, this is a great way to get a break from the fast-paced lifestyle of college and revel in the comforts of home. But there are some hidden cons of taking a weekend vacation. After making the trip several times over the course of a little over a semester, I’ve realized that going home for the weekend is a blessing and a curse.
1. The bus ride
The bus itself is not that bad – the seats are pretty comfortable and the ride is relatively quiet and peaceful. The problem is everything surrounding that ride. Walking to the bus stop from your dorm with all your stuff is definitely not fun. Once we reach our destination, the ride from the bus stop to my home is dreadful – rush hour traffic tacks on another 1-1.5 hours onto a 2.5-hour bus ride. There’s no wonder I always triple check that my parents really can’t pick me up before booking Homeride tickets.
2. You save yourself from doing laundry…
I don’t know why, but I hate doing laundry at college. Maybe it’s because I live on the top floor of my dorm and the laundry room is on the first floor. Maybe it’s the fact that I feel unproductive during the 90-minute cycle. So, of course, I would do anything to do one less load at college, even if it means lugging clothes with me when I go home. Yeah, you can call me spoiled.
3. But then always forget to unpack something that needs to be washed
This has happened to me twice now. How is it that I unpack everything except that one sweater I really needed to wash?! I guess it’s a consequence of getting into the lull of a slower-paced life. I should really master the art of unpacking.
4. Home-cooked food makes you cry tears of joy…
Going to college makes you seriously appreciate everything your mother does for you. At the top of that list is food. I finally get a respite from wandering aimlessly through the dining hall. At home, I sit at the dining table wondering how much of everything I can eat without getting a food coma.
5. As does getting to sleep in your own room
I definitely feel that having a roommate is an important experience everyone should have at some point in their life. But there’s just something refreshing about getting to be in your own room without worrying about waking up to a hallmate blasting music or your roommate having a late-night study sesh.
6. But you start getting used to sleeping in
And basically screw yourself over for the week to come.
7. You feel like a kid again
As a first year at least, I feel a big difference between my identities at college and home. At home, I feel a lot like my pre-college self – in other words, like a “kid” who is a little pampered. This is both a blessing and a curse. It’s awesome to feel like you’re being taken care of, but you also have to remind yourself that it’s time to move on from that identity. You’re in college, you’re an adult, you’re about to enter the real world. Don’t get caught in an illusion.
