Are you heading home for Thanksgiving break? Are you excited? Are you ready? Was it too fast? Are you sad? Or are you a mixture of it all? If so, you are not alone. I am finding myself in a whirlwind of emotions this upcoming break. I am ready to leave, but I was also taken aback at how fast it came and how close this means the end of the semester is. I am both happy and sad and here is why I think this departure has become bittersweet.
One reason I believe I’m bitter about the idea of leaving college for home is the fact this has become routine. Where once leaving for college was the change, now it is going home. And change is already scary enough, but to think that going home is scary… well, that’s just off-putting. You have now become accustomed to the college lifestyle or at least started to acclimate (at least I hope you have). Now you are suddenly changing your routine, changing your system. That is a lot to take in.
On the sweet side, no school. Of course, we chose higher education for the purpose of career development and so on and so forth. But no one likes class. I am a natural nerd on almost every level. One key part being I love to learn, new facts interest me, and understanding something… well, there is something beautiful about the idea of that. That being said, class still sucks. You’re with a bunch of people (most likely strangers) and you are tired and busy and stressed. I’d rather be anywhere else sometimes, especially when I’m paying to do all this hard work (worth it though). So, breaks are a fantastic getaway from that insanity.
One of the hardest things about leaving and the best part about coming back is the people you miss. It’s great coming back home and seeing friends and family that you missed while away. But let’s face it, you now have a new family and friends; you have your college family and friends. Trust me when I say that I understand the struggle, but this is such a good problem to face. You have so much love you are giving out and so many connections and that’s beautiful. Sure, it’s hard, but you’ll see both of them, and everyone is just a phone call or text message away. Isn’t it nice to be alive in the era of technology?