Like most children, I dreamed of growing up and moving away from my home, but now that I am older I understand the value of having a home base. The word home symbolizes constant support and love--even in the hardest of times. This week I decided to venture home to regroup and enjoy some down time with the people who know me the best. On my way back home with my dad, I felt a sense of peace--peace knowing that this is place I raised and the place that made me the individual I am proud to be today. So I am going to try to describe the feeling of coming home, and the difference of coming home at college and coming home to my family.

When I am at Salem College, I say on a basis I am heading home, but when I say home I am saying the place where I am beginning to surround myself with like minded individuals—who over the years have become family. These individuals have become my school family, but there is a difference in coming home to my friends and coming home to my family and my hometown.

When I ride into my hometown, a sense of welcoming and knowledge that I can achieve anything is rushed over me. For a moment I feel relaxed and I question if I am supposed to be home rather than at school. Even though I question the future and my life at school, I know that all the work and days away from my family will pay off when I gain my degree. When I imagine home I think of Momma scrambling to finish her home cooking, Daddy watching football and our ritual of watching westerns on the weekend. I think of the love that is not easily seen between the normal family spats, and the hard work and dedication that makes us proud to be a family. The feeling of coming home is unlike anything you could image; the feelings that come with coming home consumes me and everything I strive to be.

Coming home reminds me of my family’s traditions, it reminds me of when I was child and was excited to grow up. Now that I am officially an adult, I am consumed with the memories and regrets of growing too fast. I miss the days when our biggest problems were having enough time in the day to play with our friends. Now my biggest problem is when I am going to have time to see my family again and if I am going too actually be able to spend time with them when I am there. While I am at college I remember my family and dream of better days, and as I ride back into town I am immersed in those feeling of regret and peace knowing I cannot regain those days.

All I am left to do is make the best of the days I have with my family, and remember that I can always come home and regain the feelings of peace and love within my hometown.