With Thanksgiving break in full swing, many first-year students (like myself) are coming back to their hometowns for the first time since leaving for college. Upon my departure in August, I realized I would be leaving behind some major privileges, such as only having to share a bathroom with my mom rather than with 35 other girls and having a bedroom to myself. However, I failed to realize just how many small luxuries I took for granted at home and have lost in the past several months at college.
- Listening to Music Out Loud
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When I left college, I knew earbuds would be essential, but I didn’t realize just how little freedom you have when it comes to listening to music or watching YouTube directly from your laptop speaker. My nightly high school routine of falling asleep to The Office on my laptop quickly ceased to exist when I came to CU in mid-August, so it truly felt like bliss being able to partake in this unhealthy, late-night Netflix binging when I came home from college for the first time.
- Going Barefoot in the Shower
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Up until I came home for the first time recently, I didn’t realize just how much I missed feeling the ceramic floor of the shower on my bare feet. I am so used to only taking showers with uncomfortable, soggy, and squeaky flip flops on my feet, so it felt amazing to shower barefoot for the first time since August.
- Not Worrying About Illness
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This one may sound a bit strange to anyone who hasn’t lived in a college dorm, but the fear of contracting an illness is something that is always on my mind. Ever since getting the inevitable “freshman plague” at the beginning of the year, I have since become a self-proclaimed “germaphobe” and always go out of my way to avoid contact with illness by wrapping my hand in my sleeve to open doors. I know, I know… It sounds crazy, but dorms are truly cesspools of disease. So naturally, coming home and being able to touch doorknobs and sink handles without worrying about getting sick is quite a relief.
- Good Water Pressure
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Like most 19-year-olds, I’ve rarely ever thought about the water pressure in my house. It has always been one of those things that has always been there, and I, unfortunately, took for granted. However, after spending the last several months in a dorm where the water in the showers and sinks slowly trickles out of the faucets, I can confidently say I have gained a significant appreciation for good water pressure, as the low pressure water in my dorm makes simple tasks like shampooing my hair and washing my dishes abundantly more difficult.
- Not Eating Off a Tray
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I came to college prepared with the reality that my diet would be restricted to solely dining hall food, and frankly I accepted the fact pretty early on that I would come to grow tired of the C4C food very fast. That being said, though, I never realized how much of an impact the environment in which I eat has on my relationship with food. I didn’t think I would care whether I was in the dining hall or at my dining room table, but let me tell you… This has been one of the biggest things that I missed, and frankly, I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I came home and started eating off my own family’s plates at our own table instead of off a brown, damp cafeteria tray at the C4C.
After coming home from college, you’ll come to realize there’s a lot of small luxuries you’ve been missing that you’ve always taken for granted. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, try reflecting on some of the little components of your day-to-day life that you are thankful for. Try not to take them for granted, because you just might lose them.