Going home from college for Fall Break, Thanksgiving, and even Christmas results in a weird mix of nostalgia and wonder. The place you left is still home, however it feels like a completely different place.
Freshmen, it might be difficult for you to tell a difference. You’ll still miss your family and you’ll probably still keep in contact with some of your friends from high school. Home will resemble the place you left.
Sophomores, you’ll start to feel weird walking around your hometowns. Little changes like a new shop opening up, or the crappy railroad crossing being fixed won’t stick out, but they’ll make you feel like something is different.
Juniors, you might be in denial. Denial about how everything has changed, about how you have changed. If you even go home at all — some of you might plan a spontaneous road trip with friends — it will seem like a foreign place.
Seniors, you’ll notice the changes the most. You’ll come home and your bedroom will have been turned into the storage room. You’ll have to fight for a spot on your bed. Your parents probably painted the living room, so even your home feels different. You start to remember what you miss about your childhood: the places you used to grab ice cream after school, the park you used to play at on the weekends, the friends you used to have. As a senior, you pretty much have your future planned out. The same can be said for the majority of your friends back home. You still like to visit, to catch up on life, but the things you once had in common are no longer present in you lives.
Appreciate the change. Embrace the evolution of time. It is inevitable that nothing will remain stagnant, and that’s a wonderful thing. Your family still loves you. Your parents miss you more than they’ll admit. Spending time away from home is wonderful. If anything, it allows you to appreciate the things about home that you love. It’s a reminder to enjoy the little things in life.