This past weekend was fall break for my university, and like most people, I went home. Though I was very happy to be reunited with my family, being back in my house made me sad that I did not have access to certain things on campus that I have at home. For example, one of my favorite features of my physical home is the backyard. Our backyard has gone through a lot of different renovations, but I do really love its current state. With the treehouse in the back, the swimming pool, and the turtle pond that I helped build, my childhood backyard holds a lot of precious memories for me. And so, not being able to take a sunset dunk in the water or have late-night talks in the backyard has sometimes made me feel homesick, as you would expect.
As they say, you don’t appreciate what you have until it is gone, and I can certainly relate to that. But as much as I miss the security of my past schedules, I also think there is so much excitement in the newness of the college life and making a temporary home. I have really enjoyed making my dorm room my own and going on random side quests in a town that I am not familiar with. So even though I miss my family, I also, ironically enough, do not think about my home as much as I thought I would. Truthfully, I think it is more that certain things I encounter remind me of home, and not so much the other way around. When I find just the perfect parking spot with no turning involved, I think about my parking spot in front of my house. When I am in the mood to go for a swim, I think about my backyard.
There are certainly days I feel more sentimental than others, but in the end, I think that treasuring home and specific parts of it (like a backyard!) is important for our well-being, and it actually shows us what we value. Home is something that comes in all shapes and sizes for everyone, whether that is connected to family or not. But I think knowing what that is and holding it close, especially in the midst of the fall semester, is incredibly important. Sometimes, all I want after a long day of exams is a warm hug from my parents, but since they are not here, a new book from Fabled will have to do (#treat yourself!). After all, home is where your heart is, so even if I am not physically at home, my heart loves certain things, such as literature, music, and the outdoors.
Thus, pursuing those loves has helped me adjust to college so much more than I thought it would. So if you find yourself still struggling to find a place in college, just know that you are not alone, even if it might not seem like it! Eventually, if we are intentional, I believe that we can find comfort in a lot of circumstances. After all, you can see the sunset just as well from a backyard in your hometown as you can from Pat Neff.