1. New family members.  

Because the drive home isn't cheap, I missed the birth of my nephew. The closer it got I was like, "Well, it's OK! I'll see him in a few months." But now that he is here, I can't help but feel guilty for not being there. It can be hard to remember that even though you aren't there, your family's life goes on and they have to continue living their lives just as you do.

2. Birthdays. 

The older I get the less I care about my birthday, but my family celebrates birthdays with family-only dinners. Watching it over FaceTime isn't the same as being hugged by a family member you don't get to see often. During our birthdays we pick our favorite food and we get to have that for dinner.

I still got to celebrate it with family and have my grandpa cook for me (which I was so grateful for because he's a #bomb cook), but it just isn't the same as having my animals, couch, and the familiarity of home.

3. Holidays. 

For some people, this may not really be that monumental. However, breaking the traditions you grew up knowing is really hard. I stay on this side of the mountains for Thanksgiving due to convenience, but as my family grows at home, the harder it is for all of us to get together, especially when there's traveling.

4. Family. 

When I moved back to Bellingham, I was about a week into getting settled in my temporary home when I saw a Honda Odyssey driving down the road and realized it wasn't my sisters. I was already emotional, but that took the cake. This takes a while to get over, you start to understand that you are on your own and that's terrifying, but also amazing.

5. Friends. 

This is tough to explain. I didn't really have friends, maybe one or two, however, for many, I was only their friend when it was convenient or doing their high school homework. Even though I've realized they aren't legit friends and I don't hang out with them even when I am home, it's difficult to know that the familiarity of having them around disappears.