As summer approaches, college students across the country pack up their belongings and head home for the warm months. This is a time where you go home and relive your high school days with your old Backstreet Boys posters and the stuffed animal you've had since you were five. Coming home can be very exciting, but the transition can be a little difficult. My hardest transition when coming home is going from the busy streets of Milwaukee to my quaint little suburban home. The following is a list of changes that someone in their twenties experiences when moving from their urban environment to the suburbs:

1. Out here in the suburbs, it gets really dark at night.

Being in the city means constant lights from buildings, street lamps, bars, and everything in between. The stars are hard to see, and there is always some light that manages to get into your apartment when living in the city. So when you go back to a place where two story houses are the largest buildings, and even the neighborhoods have no street lights, it can get pretty creepy how dark it is around here.

2. The silence is deafening.

Like the constant lights, the city provides a soft hum of noise from cars on the streets, to groups of people heading home from the bar. There is never a "quiet" moment while living in the city, which is totally fine, but when you come home the sound of silence can be even more terrifying than the sounds of drunks walking around at night.

3. There are no "blocks."

As a runner, I love running in the city because I can count how many blocks away I am from my home, and then can run back knowing about how far I went. In the suburbs it's just a crap shot.

4. Nothing is easy to walk to.

Being downtown, almost everything is in walking distance. If I crave ice cream I can just walk three blocks to the grocery store and pick it up. If I want to go out to eat I can walk a block to Water Street and find a nice restaurant to dine at. In the suburbs almost everything needs a car because getting out of the neighborhood alone can take a 20-minute walk. Having to rely on a car can be kind of annoying when you are so used to just walking out the front door.

5. Nothing is open late.

The city scene usually stays open a little later for those college students that have cravings for greasy pizza or an ice cream cone in the late hours of the night. My go to in Milwaukee was always Ian's Pizza, an establishment right on the strip of bars that welcomed all until about 3am. The pizza was delicious and well worth the walk, but now that I'm at home I need to curb those cravings toward something that I can buy at Walmart or McDonald's, but even that might not satisfy

6. Parties are non-existent.

Those crazy frat parties that you loved so much away at college, yeah they don't exist when you go home. Everyone has so many different schedules that it's very hard to find a time to get everyone together, let alone find a place to hold it. A lot of parents do not feel like having their sons/daughters throw a party in the home that they paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for.

7. Rules.

Now this only applies to the kids living at home, but moving from the city to the suburbs can be even harder when you had so much freedom at school. Staying up late, going to parties, and walking home to your bed were customary on the weekends, and now you need to check in with your parents or have to be home by a certain time. You come home to rules that never applies in the city, and now that you are home for the summer you must adjust to these rules otherwise you might as well go back up to school.

8. You see your old high school friends.

You know the people that you tried to stop talking to when you went away to college? Well they are probably in the same boat as you and are living at home for the summer. The problem is that they know too much about your past that you don't want to relive those memories, and begin to appreciate those random strangers you would have conversations with in the city over them.

9. Neighbors are super friendly.

Living in the city, people move in and out of apartments for various reasons: new job, having kids, having pets, or just want to move into a bigger space. With renting, the flexibility of moving is a lot simpler than purchasing a house in the suburbs. With that being said, living in an apartment complex you get to know a few people really well but there are not "cookouts" or "floor parties" like the suburbs do. Everyone is close, and a lot of people have known each other for so many years. This creates a friendship different than most, and can be a nice welcome when you transition from the city to the suburbs.

10. Having to travel to the city for events.

One cool thing about living in a city is all the different shows, events, and concerts that go on. To see the Blackhawks play you have to drive to the United Center (right outside of Chicago) to see a game. For a Shawn Mendes concert you might have to drive up to the Rave in Milwaukee. Living in the suburbs makes it hard for there to be all this going on, as the large stadiums, concert halls, and buildings that house these events are too large to put into towns. So when you live in the suburbs, prepare to leave often to venture off on some of the cooler events that your town just can't host.

11. There is green everywhere.

It is beautiful how much the cities misses out on nature. With so many people living in the city, it is hard to persevere land just for habitats or parks. Now trees are not absent in cities, but when you go to the suburbs you can clearly notice a difference. There are lots of bike trails and running trails for people all across the counties, making it a beautiful area to live when you are ready to settle down.

12. You are growing up.

Living in the city is an exciting, new adventure with limitless possibilities on activities to do. The bars are plentiful, businesses are everywhere, and you have everything you need in one spot. The decision to move to the suburbs is not an easy one, taking away from all the endless possibilities, but it is an important step in growing up. Maybe you have a significant other and you are ready to get a house together. Maybe you have a child and want to raise them in a neighborhood where they will be safe and have good schooling. Maybe you are just ready to leave the city and enjoy the comfort of a small house on the lake. The possibilities of the suburbs are endless too.

Now I'm not saying that the suburbs are for everyone. Some people find the city a wonderful place to live, and want to raise a family there as well. It is your life, and you are more than capable of making these lifestyle decisions. Every choice we make in life has an effect, and although I love living in the city for college, I do not plan on living in the city for the rest of my life. I imagine a house on a lake, with the sun shining down on the trees and the breeze in my hair. But that is my dream, and you should pursue yours in what ever area that you want to call home.