When you go to Penn State, it becomes a normal thing for every single one of your home friends wanting to come visit all the time. Between football games, chicken baskets, fun day longs and the best school spirit in the country; who wouldn’t want to come. But after the flow of groups of friends have come and gone, the best and most appreciated visitor you could have is your mom.
Having your mom visit means three amazing things: everything will be clean again, you will eat a real meal and you don’t have to pay for anything. Before your mom gets there you’ll probably be rushing to do a mass cleaning of your room just to prove to her that you really do have your life together, even if your room isn’t. Even though when she gets there she’ll probably take matters into her own hands, the gesture will still be appreciated. If your mom is anything like mine, she’ll find some way to clean all the sheets, blankets, towels, and even the rug within the first hour that she walks in the door. She’ll gracefully move to organizing your desk and clothes and you’ll sit there and think to yourself “How does she do it?”
After leaving your room spotless, she’ll take you out to eat to a real restaurant in town and you’ll finally get a real meal, instead of boring dining hall food. For the first time in months you’ll remember what its like to have a warm, not pre-made or frozen meal. You’ll feel at peace again sitting with your mom having dinner just like you do when your home. You’ll forget about all the tests, deadlines and papers you have coming up and feel okay just because you are with your mom.
Finally after dinner, the most important part of having your mom visit will come: Target. As you raid target together you’ll get all the unnecessary things you always want but could never afford. From those cute oval shaped shampoos to tape holders that look like a little man on the toilet (seriously who even needs that), you’ll be leaving target with everything you need and don’t need. And the best part is you won’t have to spend any of your own money. So you can save all that for even more unnecessary things like greasy food on a late Friday night.
As your night begins to end and you and your mom cuddle up next to each other in her hotel room over a glass of wine you’ll realize that if you could choose any friend coming to visit and her, you’d always choose her. Having a little piece of home will give you just the boost you need to finish the semester. And having her there to lift you up when things get hard, will prove to you that your mom is better than any friend, party, daylong, football game or chicken basket.