In a couple of weeks, some of of us will be traveling home for Thanksgiving. For some of us, this will be one of the rare opportunities we’re able to go home throughout the semester. Regardless of if you go home every weekend, month, or never plan on going home again, one of the most important realities we experience in college, at least for me, is that home is replaceable.
When I returned home for Thanksgiving my freshman year, I was quite sad. I had to say goodbye to all the friends I was just starting to really know. Sure, I would see them again in a week, but it felt like I was putting my life on hold. Not only that, but I felt guilt for having those feelings.
Being at home for more than just a few hours was very strange after being away for so long. Small changes to the interior of my house felt like much bigger deals to me since I had been absent for so long. My parents had become so awkward, as if they had forgotten how to talk about me.
Conversations were centered on what I was doing at college, spots my friends and I used to hang out at had been filled with new people and friendships on hiatus while away during college felt forced. Everything that I had associated with my hometown had been altered, and it didn’t even feel real. Going home felt like pausing my real life to dwell on old memories.
I had always defined home as the place where you grew up. Yes, home is a place where you grow, but the thing is, we never stop growing. If you plant a flower, turn off the lights and then leave for three months you are gonna be disappointed upon your turn. Unfortunately, we can not live in two places at once, and even if we try, one of our flowers is not going to get enough sunlight. To me, home doesn’t stay in one place; it follows you around.
It was a tough pill to swallow for me, but returning home for Thanksgiving may be a great opportunity for you to assess your own definition of what home is now. We are all human, and we change as we get older. Try not to feel anchored to a place when you still have so much farther to climb.
