It’s a little bit embarrassing to be a college senior and still cry because you miss your mom. I was over at a friend’s place making dinner the other week when I started crying over my pasta. I had had a long day and was feeling both physically and emotionally exhausted. When I sat down to eat, it all came flooding over me and all I could think was “I miss when my mom cooks for me.” Needless to say, it was embarrassing to get tears in my spaghetti.
I get homesick every year. During my first year at college, I wanted to go home nearly every weekend. By my second year, I had a car and was visiting home at least once a month. I’m lucky enough to have a good relationship with my parents and am able to feel comfortable visiting home, but sometimes it just makes things harder. All I want some nights is to be able to curl up on the couch and watch a movie with my parents while my dogs tussle on my lap. It’s the easy life there. Someone cooks for me, I get to use the washing machine whenever I want, and I don’t have to trek a half mile to get to a quiet study space. It’s a luxury. But then I remember I have a test to take the next day or an early work shift, and I remind myself that I’m supposed to be independent. Some weekends though, I get to pack a weekend bag and make the trek back home. This year, I’ve been spending a lot more time on campus and making a lot less phone calls home. But like that day cooking dinner, sometimes my chest starts to ache, and before I know it I’m calling my mom and asking her to tell me about her day.
This is all to say, I’ve come to expect homesickness. I know that no matter how many pep talks I give myself about being an adult or making it on my own, sometimes I’m just going to really miss my home life. I think it will probably be this way for a long time. So if you’re a freshman, a senior, or you’ve been graduated for 10 years, know that you’re not the only one crying into your spaghetti because you miss your childhood bed.