It's Weird to Be Home from College

I'm now reaching my 5th day home from college, and the feeling is weird.  Normally when I have a break I come home and live out of a suitcase and maybe try to assimilate to a normal routine before going back.  But when school ends, that is a whole new story.  Yes, I am currently living out of a suitcase but at the same time our dining room looks like the Great Wall of China exploded with boxes and bags everywhere.  And I know I use this word too frequently, but it is incredibly overwhelming.  The clothes are easy to unpack; it's a matter of finding a place for the boxes on boxes of stuff from my school desk, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, etc. especially when I am going to have to repack it all up for the big move to DC later this summer.  I am home for the foreseeable future, and it is definitely weird because it will not only be the longest amount of time I have been home in the last 4 years but also the longest period of limbo for me between one major life event to the next.

So why exactly is it "weird" to be home from college?

1) My "apartmates" are no longer within an arm's reach.  This year I was fortunate enough to live with my former junior year roommate (right of me) again and a new friend who quickly became a best friend.  While I love to have my big room and queen-sized bed back, I already miss sitting around in the living room with them eating ice cream, watching SNL or just doing homework.

2) (I feel like) the expectations are higher.  It is one thing to be home from college on a break; it is a whole different concept being home from college and actually being done.  Suddenly it feels as though everyone sees me in a new light and the bar is raised in terms of my skill level and abilities.  I may be almost 22, but sometimes I still feel like a 16-year-old-looking college sophomore.

3) I don't know when I'll see certain people again.  This has definitely been one of the hardest concepts to grasp since before the pre-graduation butterflies emerged a few weeks ago.  It was difficult to say goodbye to friends and sorority sisters not knowing when we would see each other again.  Let's just say I hope that that day will come sometime soon...I know it won't be the same, though.

4) It's different.  If there's one thing I've learned in college it's that people are fluid and change with time, and we are guilty of it.  It's not necessarily bad or good, but it is weird living apart from people for so long and then coming back together.  I feel like both I and my family have changed in many ways, but this is completely natural as we all reach different stages in our lives. 

While I may not be "MIA in the DMV" yet per se, I do feel a bit MIA as I am in transition from my life as an undergraduate to that of a graduate student, and hopefully this blog will help along the way.