Home Again

The time has come. FINALS. ARE. OVER. 

Now, we return to our human bodies rather than the robotic mindless ones we have been in for two weeks. We change out of the same sweatpants we have been wearing for the entire week of finals. We wash the 6 day old buildup of dry shampoo out of our hair, shave our armpits that have hair long enough to braid, and pack for home! 

It has been HELL these past few weeks, so we all long for the warm embrace of our hometowns. We get to see all of our high school friends, visit our fave local spots, and just RELAX. My friends and I usually sit around a bonfire and reminisce about our poor dating choices or the time I laughed so hard that smoothie came out of my nose in AP Government senior year. My mom and I usually shop ‘til we drop at TJMAXX to catch up on all the family gossip that has happened while away.

For many, this is the best time of the year…until it isn’t. The initial warm hug of mom’s cooking turns to you getting yelled at for not doing the dishes. Your dad’s cute wakeup song that you missed so much in the morning starts to just be annoying at 8 am. (Why do all dads wake up at dawn?) 

You start to miss not living with solely twenty somethings in the mountains of Virginia, where you have zero responsibilities besides homework and showing up on time to Tequila Tuesday. 

You’re high school friends are fun; however, they are under strict control of their family due to the holiday season. You guys just want to go to the CLUB, but can’t because they have a mandatory dinner with their racist uncle at 9 pm. 

You want to go out for dinner with your boyfriend, but somehow got stuck taking Grandma Jane to Walmart for deli meat for the third night in a row. 

What started out as glitter and gold is starting to revert back to your life at 16 years old. The chores, errands, and judgment for how many glasses of wine you drink at family dinner makes us start to think, how did we ever survive here?!

The fact of the matter is, hometowns are special. They are full of memories, nostalgia, and people who love you. For us seniors, this is our last real college homecoming where we can just be a kid and enjoy just having to do the basic kid chores.  So when you are starting to question why you ever would come back to this place, remember that these are the moments you will miss most!