Hometowns. You either love them or hate them. Until recently, I was under the impression that I hated mine. I live in the middle of nowhere, where the most exciting thing to do is go for the same walk with the same friend every single day. Don’t get me wrong, I love my friends and I love our walks, but since going away for school, I haven’t been home for extended periods of time. Making the decision to move home and commute for further education was something that I had originally seen as an act of convenience, but the closer I get to actually moving home, the more excited I become.
My initial hesitations towards moving home came from the fact that I’ve been doing what I want, when I want, with whomever I want for the past four years. Moving home means having to explain where I’m going, what I’m doing and who I’m doing it with. Originally, this lack of freedom was a bummer. Now when I think about it, maybe my mom’s judgemental glare when I tell her I’m going out for patio drinks for the fourth night in a row will be the kick in the butt to get my life together and start acting like the real adult I claim to be.
Another reason why I feared moving back home after school is that in Waterloo I have a large friend group, whereas at home I have a few very close friends. I worried about what I would do if one of those friends was busy and I was forced to spend the night alone. However, in the last month or so I’ve really found the value in alone time, as the constant socializing of university life is starting to cause burnout for me. The lifestyle we have in university, no matter how fun it is, is not sustainable.
This will also be the first summer that I’ve been in the same city as my best friend in what feels like forever. Growing up down the street from each other we were inseparable, but after going to different high schools and then choosing universities hours apart from each other, we haven’t been able to spend as much time together as we used to. She’ is always the first person I call when I’m home and it will be nice to see each other for more than 24 hours every month or so. We have agreed on daily walks, playing tennis at the park and signing up for a recreational soccer league together.
Finally, moving home means saving money, which is never a bad thing. With a town so small that patio season means driving to the next town over, the amount of money spent on nights out should be cut in half compared to when I was at school. Additionally, there is no mall in my town, so most of my shopping will have to be done online, and like the judgemental stares my mom gives when I tell her I’m going out for the fourth night in a row, she is known to question the number of packages arriving daily at our doorstep. This means that I will be spending less money on frivolous things, which will allow me to save up in order to move out one day. As much as I have come to terms with living at home and have found the upsides to it, it isn’t something that I want to do forever and I’d like to find my own place in the near future.
Moving home may not be what you’d originally planned after graduation or it may not seem all that glamorous compared to the life you’ve been living, but if you find the positives and look at it as a good thing, I promise it won’t be as horrible as you think.