For many of us, the days of living at home are behind us. There will never be another day where we come home from a long day at high school and sit down on the couch with our dogs. We won’t say hi to our sisters when they come home from soccer practice, or sit at the dining room table discussing our days over moms’ cooking. It’s crazy how fast time goes by and how, before you know it, the life you knew for your entire life is gone. I personally didn’t even think about this until the beginning of my senior year at Marquette. When I was a senior in high school, the last thing on my mind was, “Man, I better cherish these moments where I get asked to clean my room every day.” But now I look back and I think, how did I not realize that this would be the last time? I spent all my energy looking forward to starting college, growing up and moving onto the next chapter in my life. Not for one second did I stop and pause to acknowledge the fact that as soon as I packed up my 50 pairs of shoes and moved into McCormick, nothing would be the same. In hindsight, it’s probably best that I didn’t think about it like that. I would have struggled with the transition into college and felt incredibly homesick. But now that I reflect on the past 3 years I think it’s important to address an idea that not many college kids think of: It’s okay to go home.
We’ve built a culture where once you turn 18 it’s time to be kicked out the nest. It’s not uncommon for kids to go to school on opposite ends of the country, only to return for major holidays. If you do go to school close to home, you’re still expected to live at school. Commuting is seen as a last resort, and if you go home over the weekend, it better be a family emergency. The concept of spending time with our families while we’re in college is pushed aside. I’ve heard parents joke around saying that they only see their kids twice a year, when they go to school less than 2 hours away. I know not everyone loves their families and each situation is different, but for those of you who enjoy their company, going from a life where you see your family every day to one where you don’t even live in the same city can be tough. It’s okay to take time out of your new life to go back and visit the old one. It doesn’t make you lame or show a lack of independence. These are the people that you’ve spent the most time with throughout your life and it would be more unusual if cutting them out didn’t phase you. Sacrifice a weekend of partying every once in awhile to hang out with your siblings or have dinner with your parents. When you’re graduating and looking back at it all, you might be glad you did.