Things I Miss From Home

My local public library

​My hometown is Lawrence, Kansas, home to one of the great public libraries in the United States. Living in Nashville is great, but I don’t have easy access to a large public library anymore, and Vanderbilt’s libraries don’t give off the same wonderful vibes that make you want to spend hours in them just for fun.  

Sports and Teammates Throughout my pre-college life, I was a huge swimmer, and lots of my time was spent practicing. Though I don’t necessarily miss all of the hours spent at practice, I do miss the built-in exercise and friendships that this sport brought me, especially now that I have to force myself to work out.

Home Cooked Meals Although Vandy campus dining is chock-full of options to suit all dietary needs, there is something that can’t be replicated about eating at home. Eating without a tray is a foreign concept in college, and that’s something I miss about home, where it is so easy to get up and refill my water glass, or go to the store and buy myself a snack I happen to be craving. It’s the little things that kill you.

Teachers Don’t get me wrong: Vanderbilt professors truly are caring and helpful. That being said, my high school teachers were intergalactically supportive and the most amazing people. I still talk to many of them, and I share stories of my college experience. The level of familiarity you get in a high school class cannot be replicated in any college class, so I miss that. This is also speaks to having an automatic support system at every possible location. I knew that at home I could rely on parents or siblings. At school, I had friends that had known me for years and teachers that had as well. In college, you are more on your own. You make new friends, but it’s definitely a difficult transition to move from friends to sisters-level.

My Car I’m that person who loves being independent, and driving myself was a form of independence for me. I like knowing that I can have more room to be spontaneous and decide to go to Kroger and buy some ice cream or go see a friend whenever I want to. That disappeared in college. Along with the lack of free time, seeing the price of Ubers is enough to dissuade me from being spontaneous and living my best life most of the time, and I miss that feeling.