No matter if you’re only an hour away from home, or a jump across the map, living somewhere that isn’t home, is hard.
All throughout my college-search process, I wanted to be at a school far from home and knew it had to be awesome–no curfew, no rules, no nagging.
But, that was just the moody, angst-y teenager in me, and I soon realized that not having any of the negatives of living at home, would also come with not having a lot of the positives.
At some point during high school, my parents stopped being the unfair, strict monsters I thought they were, and they became my best friends.
To be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to pinpoint exactly when it was that this happened, because I never realized that they were my best friends until I left for school. It might be cliché as heck, but you really don’t know what you have until it’s gone.
Phone calls from your mom when you’re sad don’t suffice for her warm, embracing hugs, and sitting on the couch on game day doesn’t mean anything because your dad isn’t there next to you, hooting and hollering at the screen.
Home cooked meals seem like a distant memory, and sometimes, it feels like you don’t even remember what a real meal tastes like. You miss the big events and small events that happen at home; you miss that silly thing your little brother did, you miss the decorating for holidays, and you miss the family trips to the grocery store. It seems like you’re left out from everything going on at home, and aren’t apart of making those new memories with everyone.
But fear not, because that’s not true at all. Yes, your families and friends are at home making new memories, and their lives are going on—but the same thing is happening to you! You’re living your new and awesome life, and are making your own new and awesome memories. You’re meeting new people and forming a school family, and are making your own home at college.
Though being homesick sometimes feels like it’s unbeatable—you’ll beat it. There are days that you might get sad, and nights where you might get even sadder, but that’s only temporary. Before you know it, you’ll be forgetting all about what memories you’re missing and think of all the memories you’re making.
Your home will always be your home, and that’s irreplaceable–same goes for your parents, and your brother and your sister, and your dog and your cat, and your bed and everything else you might have left back at home. But, the most reassuring thing about it all is that those people and those memories and those things will still be there when you return home.
And, until that day comes when you do go back, stay strong, learn to love your new home, and FaceTime with your parents daily.
If you’re the opposite and love to be away from home, check out Lili Walkers article To The Girl Who Isn’t Homesick