Being home, it’s a blessing and somewhat of a curse at the same time. Some people can’t wait to go home, while others dread the three and a half months away from school. For me, I am a little of both. I am so glad to be done with exams and take a break from the whole college atmosphere, and especially the dining halls. At the same time, when you come back home, you have curfews and have to check in with your parents and let them know what your plan is at all times.

I’m not going to lie; I was nervous about coming home after my first year away. Not because of curfews or anything like that, but because of being away from friends for so long. I have always had a tight, tight group of friends since I was 4 years old, although none of us went to college together. When I went away, I met a completely new group of people, who I would spend countless nights in the library, eating pizza, and going to class with. These people would soon become my support system and like my home away from home.

When I would come home for breaks, I would catch up with as many friends with as possible in the time I would be home. But, of course, it wasn’t exactly the same because we had all been apart for so many months. It would seem that we would be competing to see who had the craziest experiences thus far. But, just as our experiences had changed, we ourselves had begun to change too.

College isn’t one easy, breezy ride, it has its’ bumps and bruises. In my first-year experience, after first semester, I couldn’t wait to go back to college. I had made an amazing group of friends, joined an incredible sorority, and was counting down the days to go back. Looking back, I feel like I spent less time with my family over breaks than I did talking to my friends from school through all different types of social media.

Once I was back, everything seemed to change. With different schedules, I didn’t see my friends as often as I did the semester before. I grew apart from the people who I spent almost every waking moment with. Not only at school were friendships growing apart, but a friendship from home ended as well. Honestly, the word end isn’t even strong enough. It was like hitting a bee over and over with a fly-catcher after you already know it is dead. And my heart shattered, I was broken after that happened. All I wanted to do from there on out was go home, I would call my parents sobbing and tell them I didn’t even want to be at school anymore. I shut myself out from others and the only thing that I looked forward to were the weekends I would go home.

Soon enough I would be home and able to get spend time with my family. For a while, I would dread having to go back to school because I felt like I had no one to go back to, but that eventually ceased. When the end of the year started to creep up, I was nervous. I did not want to have to face the people who had broken my heart when we would eventually come home for the summer. But here I am, sitting in my bed at home, and honestly, I am ready to face every challenge this summer brings with a fearless heart.

So, to the girl who is home for the summer, know whatever you are feeling, there is at least one other college kid feeling the exact same way. Whether you could not wait to be home and ready to spend every waking minute with your family and friends, go out and do it. Or, if you are the complete opposite, give everyone another chance, because they are the ones who you have to fall back on when things at school aren’t great. Spend time with you parents, try to mend broken friendships, and make sure to make the most of your summer because, before you know it, you will be back in a lecture hall with no AC in the middle of August.