Why I Went Home for Spring Break

While all my friends jetted off to Cancun, Florida or other exotic locales over spring break; I packed my bag, hopped in my mom’s car and drove home–and I couldn’t have been happier that I did. After a long and rough first semester, I didn’t think I would want to come back to VCU. I did, and second semester has already proved itself to be at least one thousand times better than the first. That being said, I really needed only three things to revive me and motivate me to finish second semester strong: my bed, my house, and my family. I needed these things more than I needed any fruity drink or tan lifeguard to sweep me off my feet (though I will admit to having some serious FOMO while I looked through my friends vacation pictures). 

What I needed, in every sense of the word, was a break. I needed time to sit, do absolutely nothing and not stress about assignments or due dates. I needed time to sit with my mom and catch up on Project Runway. I needed to see all my old friends, share our crazy stories and go to all of our old favorite restaurants. I needed to catch up on my sleep on my full-sized TempurPedic and shower (without shower shoes!) in my very own bathroom. I needed time to cook homemade food with my dad and eat something that wasn’t deep fried (hello, fresh fruit). I just needed to go home.

Because spring break was only a week, I had two options: go home or go on a trip. Call me crazy, but going home sounded a lot more peaceful and relaxing than heading down to PCB for a week of drunken fun. This isn’t to disparage on the people who did or question their choices; this is simply why I chose to head on home. Sure, the monotony of my sleepy little hometown got to me after the first few days, and by the time break was over I was incredibly ready to be back in Richmond. But that’s the beauty of break only lasting a week–it’s enough time for you to go back home and enjoy it without getting too bored out of your skull. 

Some think that wanting your family or being homesick in college means you aren’t happy there, that if you’re spending too much time thinking about home you should find a school that feels like home. VCU is home to me, and I could not be happier that I go here and have the opportunity to call Richmond my home. But I also have another home, another place that I love and am happy to be from. Though others may disagree, I don’t think being homesick means you aren’t happy or that you need to find another school. To me, I think it means missing the familiarity of your home–the familiar sounds of your parents getting ready for work, the familiar scent of coffee in the air when you wake up, the familiarity of your favorite booth at your favorite restaurant, the familiarity of driving to nowhere with your best friend while singing your heart out to your favorite songs. Being homesick, to me, means missing the comfort and familiarity of a place you have grown up in and know better than you know yourself. It means wanting to go back to a place where you are loved and known and comfortable, and being reminded that you are loved and known and comfortable. 

Hopefully next year I can do both–both go on a cool vacation and get to go home. Until then, I’ll think fondly of my freshman year spring break–a break full of love, happiness and familiarity. 

• home
• RVA
• spring break
• vacation
• vcu