This post is intended to inform ya’ll about at least 10 things that remain unsaid when transitioning back home after freshman year, said in satirical retrospect.
- CHORES I know, I know. The dreaded chores have resurfaced themselves. So, remember when you didn’t have to clean the whole house because you were at school? Remember when the only thing
you were responsible for was putting your silverware down the chute and those carefree days sweeping a 12×12 room? If your family operates anything like my sister and I do with chores, think again. Instead, it was, “Welcome back, Cinderella! The chores have been waiting for you to return.” Oh joy…P.S. This was my sister waiting for me to get back home to do the dishes.
2. LAUNDRY
Remember when you put quarters on your Christmas list because you were trying to avoid spending your own $1.25 on each load of laundry? Or maybe you conned the system like I did and just tried to shove as much laundry as possible into one load, cross your fingers, hope for the best, and throw in an extra Tide Pod for good measure. Hey, if it isn’t going to spin as much because it’s so full, at least it’ll smell twice as good, right? Well, once you’re home, if you try the same thing, your parents will likely remind you that quarters are no longer a hot commodity and that you need to put in smaller loads or it will hurt the machine. Oops, I’m sorry that I was trying to be frugal.
Rare image of me saying, “Please sir, I beg of you. I need just one more quarter!
3. VEHICLES
College is so great, you know? Everything is basically centralized so that you don’t have to rely on a vehicle that much and all you need are your own two legs. Easy enough. At home though, the war begins. Mom needs to go to work at 7:30 in Kalamazoo, Sister needs to be at school at 7:15, Dad needs to be at an appointment in Portage at 7:20, OH, and you need to be in Grand Rapids by 7:45, so you need to leave by 7.
Can you feel the tension? That poor, little car.
Oh by the way, there are only 3 available vehicles because you don’t know how to drive stick, so the convertible isn’t an option. What to do, what to do? Rock, paper, scissors isn’t really a viable option, so be prepared to leave earlier than you intended to ensure that the war on vehicles does not commence every morning. It’s a bloody battle, but if you work as a team, you’ll make it through.
4. M/W RULE
Chances are, you’ll forget that when you’re home, there’s no M/W class, T/TH class rule. People will actually know if you’re a dirty child and wore the same outfit 2 days in a row. Let me say, that being a dirty child is nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes, your outfit is so on point that you feel that everybody must see it, so wearing it back to back is obviously the only option. I am a proud, dirty child.
The look that you must give people if they acknowledge that you wore the same outfit 2 days in a row
5. LOCAL FOOD
Chances are, you got sick of University food at some point. I mean, who can say no to a sit down meal, away from campus? NOBODY. If you can say no, I think that you’re crazy–at least a little bit. I came home from school and craved the local food from school. I missed being able to walk six minutes to fill my face with STUFD.
It doesn’t look all that appetizing, but I seriously craved this every single day.
When I say that I missed it, I mean that I craved it every single day and just wanted nachos–all the time. I legitimately was willing to just drive to Ypsi for nachos. 2 hour nacho trips are some of my faves.
2 HOUR NACHO TRIPPPP.
6. ADULTING
Adulting is one of those cool terms easily coined by being able to accomplish adult-like activities and schedules all while still trying to college. Let me tell yah, adulting is tough! No matter how graceful, capable, or organized you are, it’s still quite tiring. Some nights, it might be a struggle to get through dinner and a shower. My first day of work this past summer was an 8 hour shift with a 35 minute commute on both ends. By the time I got home to celebrate my first day by going out to dinner, I could hardly stay awake long enough to look at a menu.
I’m so glad that my Mom got a photo of me at dinner after my first day at a big girl job.
7. BIG KID JOBS
I don’t know if you know it or not, but getting an internship is a big deal in general, but getting internships early is even more valuable. I was very fortunate to snag one that summer after freshman year and my advice is to own it. Go out and soak up every single thing you can, do research, pick up food, sort samples, but acknowledge that you’re doing something really awesome. BE SO PROUD. You must think of yourself as a sponge and from there, the world is essentially your oyster. Remember, it’s not necessarily all about what you know, but about WHO you know. Be genuine, be professional, and be personable.
I loved my big kid job–yay for internships!
8. ABSENCE
They say that absence can make the heart grow fonder, but sometimes, absence can also show you just how draining some of the people that were previously in your life, were to you. It’s not until we remove ourselves from situations that we get a glance into just how much energy we were diverting away from ourselves and onto other people. I’m not saying that just because someone isn’t as prevalent in your life now means that they were an energy-zapper, but I am saying, that having an awareness of these people can create a better presence and frame of mind for you going forward with your interactions. Obviously, absence can go both ways! Sometimes you’ll realize that you depended on people for a lot more than you thought.
Some things make it hard not to miss people.
9. ALONE TIME
Sometimes we have this vision in our head of exactly what summer will be–we make preemptive plans with people that might never come to fruition, we say that we’ll go to the beach and then never do, and we suddenly realize in the midst of all of our planning, that summer hasn’t been what we thought–we’ve spent a lot of time alone. At first, I thought I was just struggling with being away from people that I had just spent the last 8 months with, and that was part of it, but it wasn’t just that. I had been so busy that last month of school, trying to make every last moment count with all of those people that I had forgotten how to be alone with myself. I had been surrounded by so much noise that I hadn’t listened to the silence. So, take advantage of those quiet moments, do things for you, and remember that it’s okay to be alone sometimes. We all need a little break from people at times, so don’t be discouraged if you find yourself alone. Go to a place that makes you feel free and just BE. 
10. I AM
In the thick of transitions, it’s easy to find ourselves questioning who we are. At home, we might be star child, at school, obnoxious, at work, positive. All of those things might be true. You’re not limited to one persona, one emotion, or one feeling based on the situation. You are a human who is constantly evolving, growing, and changing. You are exquisite. You are strange. You are unique. Don’t forget in the midst of all that is going on that you are complex and can’t be nailed down with one specific adjective. Everything that you encounter or experience is helping shape you into the person that you are. Seize the change, no matter how difficult, and you will come out better for it. No one experienced growth by staying in their comfort zone, so, my challenge to you is to embrace all of the adjectives that you think define who you are. Explore the possibilities of these transitions. Be okay with leaving part of who you are behind you if it no longer fits who you want to be today. Most importantly though, remember to say, “I AM worth the effort. I AM unique. I AM important. I AM who I AM and I love me.” You can do this–I believe in you. 
I leave you with this thought to ponder:
We invest everything we’ve got in believing that we’re not good enough.
I say, believe and be so happy and in love with yourself that you can’t be bothered by the b.s. It’ll be something that will help you navigate some of those transitions and changes in your life. 🙂
xx jo