We all have those moments when we miss our old friends. Late nights spent slumped over a Styrofoam cup of ramen noodles and a textbook tends to trigger some memories of much simpler times. We suddenly find ourselves glancing over at that dusty framed picture of the squad from high school, and before we know it, we’re sending out a mass text inviting all ten of them to stay in a dorm room too small for even two people. Despite that, we have high expectations for the visit from the ones we’ve loved the longest, but the reality of it doesn’t always match up.
Expectation: Reminisce on old times.
It’s nice to take a step back from all the mayhem that goes on in college as things are constantly changing. We’re constantly meeting new people and, yes, new amazing memories are being made with these people – but nothing beats talking about the parties you thought were identical to Project X, or the whereabouts of all your old enemies that you’ve come to realize are irrelevant.
Reality: Listen to your friends talk about people as if you know them.
Don’t get me wrong – we all care about what our friends have been up to. We still love to hear about their hookups, breakups, and everything in between. But spending the whole weekend talking about that super cute lacrosse player with the blond hair who plays guitar and lives on the third floor is not too fun.
Expectation: Play tour guide for the weekend.
You spend the week planning out all the touristy spots on campus; this means you will be taking a trip to the Lion Shrine, Old Main, and the Creamery. You expect your Instagram followers from home to be annoyed by all the pictures of you and the squad outside of Old Main, but you’ll feel no shame about it.
Reality: “It’s too far.”
You come to realize your friends can’t hang. They tell you how close all their classes are to their dorm room, and that their entire school is the size of the Hub Lawn. You find yourself taking the bus from stop to stop to save your friends from the foot pain; you eventually come to the conclusion that you are a good friend for doing this.
Expectation: A weekend of daylongs, tailgates, and games.
You’ll start early on game day – you’re no amateur. You plan to get ready, pregame, and head out the door to begin the trek to the tailgate. Your old friends will meet all your new friends, and you couldn’t be happier. It’s the best of both worlds.
Reality: The squad passes out before game time.
You’re a professional tailgater. On top of that great education you’re getting here at Penn State, you’ve mastered the skill of tailgating; your friends, however, have not. Friend #3 is sleeping under the tailgate tent; friend #5 is in the Porta Potty throwing up; and friend #6 is flirting with every guy that walks by – at this point, the frustration kicks in.
Expectation: Good parties.
After catching up with everyone on Friday night, you decide it’s time to go out. Your friends are dying to experience a big school party, and you just got an address from that cute guy in your lecture. The squad heads out to the party, has an amazing time, and finishes the night in true Penn State style – at Canyon Pizza.
Reality: Weak party scene.
You wait several hours to finally get an address. Once you get that address, your journey there is delayed thanks to your college friends arguing over whether it’s a good party or not. Despite that, you go. When you get there, the party is dead. You wonder whether it was ever a party at all, and your friends begin to question if you even go out. A quick glance over on the way back reveals that the line for Canyon Pizza is wrapped around the block, and none of your friends are willing to pay the extra quarter for College Pizza, so you go back home – hungry and defeated.
Drama is bound to occur during these types of weekends, and you may question why you invited your friends to visit in the first place; you may even begin to appreciate your new friends a little bit more. Although these vists may not always go as planned, it’s always a good time in the end when get to be with the friends you truly love.