Sure, you’re independent and everything, but being away from home comes with its own set of struggles…
1. You’re homesick the minute you leave.
While others dread going back to school for fear of the endless homework and non-stop commitments, you know the biggest struggle will literally just be the fact that you’re not home.
2. Wishing you could go home every weekend.
Refreshing Google Flights to see if the absurd flight prices have gone down has become a daily activity.
3. Missing home-cooked meals.
The dining hall just doesn’t cut it when all you’re craving is Mom’s chicken parmesan or Dad’s burgers fresh off the grill. You anxiously await holidays and vacations because you know healthy and delicious food is on the menu.
4. Quick “check-in” phone calls turn into 2-hour Skype sessions.
You call your dad with a quick question about something random and suddenly you’re Skyping with your dad, your mom and all of your relatives that just happen to be visiting that weekend. By the time you hang up, you look at the clock and realize you’ve wasted two precious hours that could have been spent doing work. But you’re not even guilty…
5. Texting your parents updates about the most meaningless things.
Dining hall serving your favorite dinner food? Better tell mom. Assigned a stupid homework assignment? Dad DEFINITELY needs to be notified. Pretty much anything that happens becomes news that needs to be shared with your parents, whether or not it is actually of any importance.
6. Never-ending text conversations.
You: Love you, mom!
Mom: *kiss emoji*
You: *heart eyes emoji*
Mom: xoxo
You: *heart emoji*
Mom: *heart emoji*
7. Asking your mom to send you pictures of your pet.
Sure, you miss your parents and your bed but what you really miss the most is your pet, if you have one. You can’t go too long without getting the latest adorable snap or video of (or sometimes even video chat with) your furry friend.
8. Constantly checking your mailbox for letters from home.
Stopping by the post office on a semi-regular basis with the hopes of receiving a cute note or a fun care package.
9. Getting way too exciting for your parents to visit.
Your brunch, dinner, and day trip plans are scheduled weeks — even months — before your parents even come into town. You use “Sorry, my parents are in town,” as an excuse to get out of any social plans you might be tied to.
10. Counting down the days until you get to go home.
Checking your calendar every day to see how many days are left until you’re reunited with all things relating to home, and being disappointed that the days aren’t going by faster.
When it’s all said and done though, you still reach that point, as break is winding down and the time to depart from home is approaching, where you realize you’ve made the right choice to go to school further away from home.