Tag: dorm life

My ESA Journey

I’m a little over halfway done with the fall semester of my SENIOR year! I can honestly say these 3 1/2 years have flown by so far. This semester has been filled to the brim with coursework…we’re getting pretty close to the end. I haven’t felt very inspired to write, but I decided today I would address something that I’ve been asked several times over the past 3 months.

How did you get an ESA? For those who don’t know, ESA stands for Emotional Support Animal, and yes, I have one. He is a wonderful, fluffy, happy-go-lucky Goldendoodle named Goose.

Goose the Goldendoodle

An ESA is defined through dictionary.com as “an animal that provides therapeutic benefit to a person diagnosed with a psychological disorder as anxiety, depression, or PTSD, and that is allowed to accompany the person in certain public places where pets are not allowed.” Typically, people are seeking ESAs for residential areas. In my case, I wanted Goose to be allowed in my college dorm.

Now, there are several skeptics out there and I can honestly say that there certainly are people who abuse this system and get an ESA just so they can have a puppy. What I’m going to focus on today is the process of attaining the ESA recommendation letter, which a college or university accommodations department must approve. (I can’t speak to getting a letter for the private residential side of things)

There is a bit of a process to get approved/recommended for an ESA and it begins with finding a mental health professional.

The mental health professional MUST be a licensed professional in order for your recommendation letter to be accepted by the University ADA department. Typically, a college or university has a mental health professional on campus. That is the case for my university, however, when I was going through this process, it was summertime and those services were not available to me. So, I looked elsewhere. If you are on campus and want to see if you qualify, I would recommend setting up a meeting with your campus mental health professional. If you google “ESA certification” lots of sites will pop up. I went with one that was recommended to me by another blogger: https://www.certapet.com/

The process is pretty simple. You go to certapet.com and click “Getting Started” in the top right. From there, you complete an online pre-screening assessment to see if you qualify for services. If you qualify, you move on in the process and get matched with a mental health professional who will set up a session/meeting with you. This meeting works as your evaluation, and your mental health professional will work with you to decide if an Emotional Support Animal is beneficial to you, or if you need additional services.

If your mental health professional determines you are a good candidate for an ESA, they will draft and sign a letter. They will send you a hard copy, and upload it to your patient portal, where you can access it online. I emailed my university’s Accommodations Director prior to this process, so I already had filled out an application. After filling out your school’s application, you need to send that letter to your University Accommodations Director. If approved through your school, they usually send some sort of contract for you to sign. Then, your ESA will need a clean bill of health from your veterinarian, as well as up-to-date shot records and records of sterility (spay/neuter).

Now for some misconceptions, I want to personally address:

  1. An ESA will make me happy

To an extent, yes. If your ESA does its job, it probably will bring you some happiness and some stress relief, as well as relief to whatever diagnosis you might have. But ultimately, the only thing that will fulfill your life is a relationship with Jesus Christ, and not even an adorably fluffy puppy can replace that.

2. I can get a recommendation letter and then bring my new puppy to campus.

If you want to abuse the system, I suppose. At my university, we have several ESAs in the form of dogs, cats, and a rabbit. For dogs, it makes a significant impact on the community if your dog is not well trained (for instance, potty trained, kennel trained, barking loudly all the time, etc.) If you have an animal that is somewhat aggressive at all, DO NOT get it certified. That will never end up well. If you are thinking about getting a young dog certified, I recommend crate training immediately if not already done, using a bark or remote shock/vibrate collar to correct bad or unwanted behaviors, and ensuring the comfort of the people living around you with your animal. It’s crucial that good relationships are established.

I want to mention again that I only have experience with this in the campus housing aspect, and not in the private or residential area. I don’t have a letter for Goose to travel with me by plane either, although there is an option through CertaPet to do that, as well. Finally, don’t expect an ESA to “fix” you. Like I said, there’s only One for that.

I’ve Been Quarantined!

As we all are aware of, we’re living in some very uncertain times. Different people scared for different reasons, but I think we can all agree we wish the whole thing would go away. I recently, as in this week, moved back into my dorm room. My school is going above and beyond on COVID-19 preparation and attempted prevention. But yet, here I sit in quarantine…

So this begs the question, what are we doing wrong? What are we doing right? Are any of the steps and extra measures doing anything? I wish someone could give a concrete and uniform answer, but I have to say, I’m beginning to form my own conclusions.

Here are the facts. I moved into college at the beginning of this week. Masks are required in all buildings on campus, including inside my dorm. This means I have to wear a mask from the moment I enter the building until I close my dorm room door behind me. I have met with a group of other Resident Assistants daily, always socially distancing, and always wearing masks.

Everyone who is currently in the dorms was tested for COVID-19 yesterday using a saliva test (yay for objects NOT getting shoved up into our brains!) This afternoon, the RAs were informed that we had been exposed to someone who tested positive and effective immediately, would go into a two week quarantine. Now, I’m not here to complain. I do want to draw attention to what being quarantined looks like in a college setting. I think, perhaps, we could do better.

Being quarantined at college looks like this:

  1. I am not allowed to leave the dorms (aka I can’t go outside to walk/exercise)
  2. I am not allowed to leave my dorm room (aka I can’t go into the hallway)
  3. I am not allowed to walk down my hallway and fill up my water bottle
  4. My meals are brought to me by staff three times a day and left outside my room with a knock on my door until I acknowledge it
  5. I am not allowed to be in physical contact with anyone else, including the other RAs who had the same exposure as me
  6. I am to remain inside my dorm room until the health department releases me from quarantine
  7. Those who were exposed are getting tested again on Monday, although we were just tested yesterday
  8. We were not told who tested positive or when we were exposed (yes, I understand there are privacy measures to be had, but I also think it would be a good idea to know when we were exposed and who exposed us)

My question to you, the reader, is this. Do you feel that these conditions are healthy? Mental, physical, and emotional health? What do we do with this information?

I’m living this and the unfortunate reality is, there is more to come. Classes have not even started yet. 1 positive case = all the people exposed to that person immediately go into quarantine for a minimum of a week, likely longer. With that kind of reaction, will ANYTHING get done?

Sweet Summertime

I’m back for the summer, along with college students everywhere!

A collective sigh of relief has probably gone on around the country for college students. Being home, or at least done with school, is a happy, happy time for us.

Coming home made me realize something, though. I have a lot of stuff. Like, a lot. As I unloaded my car into the living room, I had a mini panic attack at the fact that I was going to have to find a home for all of the stuff that was living at my dorm.

On top of that, I realized how much stuff I have in general, because I don’t really have any room for the things I brought back. It’s probably time for a purge…

I’m sure that there were a few things in the pile of stuff that I could’ve gone without, so I thought I’d share some things I didn’t need for those high school seniors (or their parents) who are going to start buying things for college .

  1. A Lamp – It’s always a good idea to check the measurements of your dorm, along with any features it may have. My dorm desk actually had a built in lamp, so technically, I could have definitely gone without it. Not all college dorms are the same though, so make sure to check.
  2. So Many Pillows – This seems to be more of a girl thing, but believe me when I say, you’re going to wish you had less pillows. They look nice when the bed is made, but let’s be honest here…. how often will that actually happen in college? Plus, they take up a lot of space and collect dust and dirt when you throw them on the dorm floor.
  3. Blankets – For many of the same reasons you don’t want all the pillows, you should try to limit the amount of blankets you bring. You really only need your comforter and one extra blanket for in case you get cold. Usually, your dorm room will probably be sweltering, unfotunately.
  4. Shoes – Okay so obviously you need shoes, but shoes take up a suprising amount of room. Try to limit your shoe choices to ones that you wear regularly or you know you will need for an event. If you still want to bring more, consider buying a hanging shoe organizer to conserve space.
  5. School Supplies – While yes, you will need school supplies, you probably don’t need as much as you think you do. Try to have a method planned out about how you will organize your schoolwork and separate classes before move-in day. I had a binder and notebook for each class. I also had 5 extra notebooks and 3 packs of notebook paper. Not necessary at all. If you want to buy supplies in bulk, consider leaving the extras at home instead of lugging them to your new one.

I’m sure there are many more things I didn’t need, but these are the basics that pop into mind. Obviously, every dorm is different and every person will have different preferences. I know I saw all sorts of lists of things I would/ wouldn’t need for college, but it turns out I know me best. You won’t fully be prepared until you experience it for yourself, but I hope these tips are helpful.

Now, I have to get back to unpacking…

Don’t Wish It Away

On this gloomy afternoon, my roommate is playing country music while we do homework. “5 More Minutes” by Scotty McCreery happened to come on and the song jolted me back to high school. Although I don’t like to admit it, I had senioritis upon entering high school. I was as guilty as the next person of wondering why it couldn’t just be Friday. During high school, and even now, I found myself always wondering that and being mentally and emotionally disengaged from what was going on around me. I didn’t “live in the moment.” (I am not saying you shouldn’t plan things out, but I do feel that it’s important to be present in what’s going on NOW.)

Anyways, as I sat here listening to the words, I realized that even though I vowed I would never miss high school, I do. Even though I was so excited to move away from home the majority of the year, I miss living there. And I really miss getting everything paid for…

In a lot of ways we all, myself included, are wishing for 5 more minutes at the same time as we’re wishing for it to be Friday. My senior year was when these thoughts started to really intertwine in my life. While I was wishing for it to be Friday, I was praying that my last Homecoming week would slow down. Even while I counted down the weeks until graduation, I thought about how sad it would be to lose contact with the people I’d gone to school with for 13 years. These thoughts impacted me so much that I decided to give short stories about my classmates and I from every year that we went to school in my speech at graduation, a last chance to reminisce together before it was all over.

In many ways, I find myself following the same pattern in college. About a week ago I found myself on a loop thinking about how different things will be in a few years. I know that we should always be grateful for what we have and where we’re at, but graduating from high school and going into college really makes me think about how much I took for granted when I was younger.

Honestly, college is sort of a final attempt to avoid growing up.

With these thoughts, I wanted to share a little piece of advice with the high school seniors that are so ready to “get out.” You’ve probably heard it a thousand times, but you’re gonna miss it. Please, quit wishing it away. Sure, high school is not “the best time of your life” for everyone. But high school, and school in general, teaches you so many things about yourself and the people around you. Don’t wish it away. When you find yourself wishing it was Friday, wishing graduation was this weekend, or wishing you were officially an adult already, think about everything that you’ve learned from school. I’m not talking academically, I’m talking life lessons.

Your life could change in a split second, so why wish all those seconds away?

‘Twas the Week Before Finals

‘Twas the week before finals, when all through the dorms

All the creatures were studying, until they were worn!

The clothes were packed up, in the car without much care

In hopes that the end of finals week soon would be there;

The students were nestled all snug in their rooms

while math equations and proper citations danced the song of doom;

And my roommate in fuzzy socks, and I in my Grinch shirt,

Had just settled in for a long night of studying trying to become experts.

When out in the hall, there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the door I tip-toed kind of slow,

Turned the door knob and threw open the door.

The girls of fourth floor

Were shouting and dancing galore.

When what to my wondering eyes did appear,

But a normal-sized sled, and a girl fighting tears.

The girl was laughing and headed for the door,

I knew in a moment I must follow to see more.

She zipped down the staircase, and out of the dorm

Calling out names as she destroyed social norms.

“Now Hannah, now Erin, now Gabi and Reagan!

C’mon Anna, let’s go Lauryn, get Shannon and Megan!

To the top of the hill, right in front of the dorm,

Let’s sled and race down it to see who can perform!”

And I awoke the next morning, only to find

That I dreamt it all, dreaming the whole time.

So I rubbed my eyes, and got ready for class,

Because finals week was yet to be had!

Good look to all the students who were lucky/unlucky enough to have this be their finals week! But to those students in the same boat as I am, let us not procrastinate and actually study this week…

One Week before finals So it Begins - One Week before finals So it Begins So it begins

 

 

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I know I’ve been a little absent the last few weeks but this Midwest blizzard is giving me a little extra time. As everyone travels home from their respective Thanksgivings and family gatherings, I’m sure we all have been thinking on what we’re thankful for.

As for me, I had to drive back to college a little earlier than planned due to the weather, and the drive kept me reflective on what I was thankful for. It’s almost harder to leave home after a long break than after a weekend. BUT, being home allowed me to compile a list of things at home and at college that I am most thankful for, and that you graduating seniors should keep in mind as you are about to embark on the last part of your journey in high school.

HOME

  1. Family- Okay, this one may seem like an obvious one but I truly think we take our families for granted. When I was home for break my sisters and brothers went almost everywhere with me when I left home (so did my dog!) and although they didn’t say it out loud, it was clear to me that they miss me being home all the time. And I miss them, too! It’s weird going from 3 siblings around you all the time to none.
  2. Food- Another obvious one, but especially because it was Thanksgiving, home-cooked meals taste a heckeva lot better than cafeteria food! Enjoy a variety of meat instead of frozen hamburger patties and chicken. Eat the vegetables while they are prepared. Eat some fruit. College seems to be lacking in those areas…
  3. My House- There’s something about being in your own house that puts the mind at ease. I feel more comfortable being in my own house than being in a dorm, and I also enjoy having carpet( which college also lacks in). And the Christmas decor at home puts my 3 ft dorm tree to shame.
  4. My Community- This weekend my high school was talented enough and worked hard enough to make school history. Our football team made it to the State Semi-Finals game! I was blessed enough to be able to watch it, surrounded by family (biological and not) and friends. We ended up losing, but the sense of school pride and the amount of people from the community who came out to watch was amazing! Being surrounded with that kind of atmosphere can make a girl miss high school…

College

  1. Independence- Ironically, while at home I miss college and while at college I miss home. When I’m at college, I’m pretty much on my own, leaving anything I do up to me. It’s a weird balance to come home and need to tell your mom where, when, and what you’re going to do when you leave the house. I think I speak for most college students when I say that the sense of independence is one of the most rewarding things about college- you have to learn to make adult decisions and you are in charge of your own wellbeing.
  2. The Dorm- As weird as this may seem, I actually really enjoy living in the dorms. My high school College Prep teacher once told us that college was the only time in your life where you lived surrounded by your best friends 24/7.  And she was absolutely right! I know a lot of the people I live with, and my floor regularly does things together. Last week we had a floor decorating party complete with sparkling grape juice before we left for break! Around halloween, we hosted a trick-or-treat in the dorms! Now, if I could only track down who stole my flamingo socks from the laundry room…
  3. Wifi- Now this isn’t something everyone agrees with me on…In fact, I hear a lot of people complain about the Wifi at my school. But for me, it’s fantastic! My Wifi at home is spotty at best so having Wifi 24/7 at college has been great.
  4. The Non-Judgemental Atmosphere- In all honesty, there will probably never be a 100% judgement free zone. But college is pretty close! In college, you become a lot more open minded-to everything. You have many people with varying opinions on all sorts of topics, but somehow it’s all okay. The openmindedness allows for friendships to blossom that probably wouldn’t in any other atmosphere.

All in all, I have nothing to complain about. Life is great! Life is very different now than it was a year ago, but it’s a good different.

To all my fellow college students, good luck on the upcoming finals! And to everyone in the Midwest, have a great blizzard day!

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Mid-Term Evaluations: What is College Really Like?

Hello and welcome back to The Grow Up Project! Us college students have been getting hit with midterms the past few weeks, and I thought that this would be a great time in the semester to point out the differences I see between college and high school. I’ve put together a list of 5 things that stand out to me at this  point in college.

My First Year Experience Class (also known as the McGilley House) won the first house competition-trivia!

  1. Meetings: College is all about meetings. I know I’ve said it before because I was amazed at the amount of meetings that I have to go to. Meetings for my volleyball team (on top of practice), weekly student government meetings, professors want to meet with students outside of class. If you want to talk to someone who is not a student while in college, you have to schedule a meeting.
  2. Tests: I have had all of 1 test (max) per class this semester. ONE. I’m scheduled to have about three total tests in most of my classes, including the final. It’s weird not having a test after every chapter or unit like happens a lot in high school.
  3. Teachers: I don’t know about you, but most of my high school teachers didn’t have a PhD. Almost all of my college professors do. And surprisingly, these people are honestly very lenient. They take attendance at my school, but not at most bigger institutions. They almost always let us out of class early (there’s a few exceptions, of course). A lot of my professors are hilarious, too.  The thing that I like best about the professors at my school is that they care. One of my teammates was going on a visit to a different college this week, and my theology professor called (yes, like on the phone) her to try to convince her to stay.  That’s dedication.
  4. Living Conditions: Okay duh Reagan. But hear me out. Yes, clearly I’m in a completely different place than I would be at home, but it still feels like home to me. I feel like I live in a giant apartment building where I know all my neighbors. Where we hang out and watch scary movies in the lounge. Where we have the loud side of the hallway and the quiet side. Where there’s music playing at almost all hours of the day. Living in the dorms is actually pretty fun if you make it that way. That’s the thing about college, it is what you make it.

    My house won the second competition, too! We Escaped!
  5. The People: At my little school in Kansas, we have a lot of people from California. The first few weeks, our dorm hosted several meet and greet opportunities and a lot of people showed up. People from California repeatedly told me that people from Kansas were “so nice”. That we weren’t super judgy or materialistic. Now, despite what some may  be thinking, I actually agree with them. And my college showcases that well. I have met some of the most amazing people here on campus. People are really nice because everyone is in the same boat. At the beginning, no one knows each other, then the friend groups form, but for some reason college students are extremely open to meeting new people and trying new things. It’s honestly a great atmosphere.
  6. BONUS–The Homesickness: I am only 45ish minutes from home. But I have friends who are 2, 3, 4+ hours away. If I get homesick, I know they must, too. Going away to college has its appeal, until you’re there. It is weird being “removed” from your old life. I  notice how much I’m missing when I do go home. My siblings are growing up, my pets are getting older, and my high school has changed a ton. You take for granted all of that when you are right in the midst of it. But when you’re gone, even for just a few weeks, a lot does change. And goshdangit, it is really hard to shop for presents for people you aren’t around all the time!

College so far has been all it’s cracked up to be. I love the people here, classes aren’t bad at all (right now), and this is for sure one of the best experiences of my life.

I also want to let y’all in on a little secret. Well, I’ll give a hint.  A few of my friends and I had an idea over breakfast for dinner (at 11pm). It involves cameras. Stay tuned next week for the big reveal!

 

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They said I would miss it…

Hello again! I can honestly say that the past week flew past me. Actually, this semester is flying past me. I mean, it’s already October! This week, I got to thinking. One thing about me is that I think A LOT. I zone out of conversations (not necessarily a good quality), I stop mid-sentence, I talk to myself, all because I’m thinking.

Anyway, what was I thinking about? About life. About how different it is not seeing my family everyday, or at least knowing they live in the same house as me. I have come to the realization that buying Christmas presents just got a whole lot harder. I’m an observer and I usually figure out what to get people based on how they act, what they say, what they like. All of that stuff is a lot harder to figure out when you aren’t around someone all the time.

On a different note, I never thought I would miss people from high school as much as I do. Sure, I miss some of my teachers, but I’m talking about students. I genuinely miss the kids I went to school with and the reliability that came with going to a small school and seeing the same people everyday. I did that for 13 years of my life. It becomes your normal. I find myself checking up on people that I never in a million years would have thought I would care about. I go on social media purposefully to see how my former classmates are doing, because of this: no one can change the fact that I spent the majority of my life with these people. With these people I experienced some of the best things of my life, and some of the worst. We complained about teachers and homework, we cheered obnoxiously at sports games, we knew lots of things about each other. That’s not something that I can give up easily. I may not be best friends with these people, maybe not friends at all, but at the end of the day, I still care about them and I want them to be successful. I spent 13 of my 18 years of life with these people.

I was also thinking about this: one year ago today, I was stressing about where to go to school. I was stressing about what to major in. I was worried about not making friends in college, failing college classes, and a load of other things that I had no reason to worry about. And here I am, one year later, and I’m fine. (No, I still don’t really know what I wanna do with my life, but that’s beside the point.) Here’s what I’ve learned: college is great. No, I definitely don’t have my life figured out. But I am blessed to have moved on to another small school and as a result, I have gained another family. That’s something that not everyone can say they have, and I am so happy that I can.

One thing is for sure though, they weren’t lying when they said I’d miss it…

P.S. To all high school seniors, college students, or parents of the former: FAFSA opened today, Oct. 1st and you should fill that out ASAP!

 

Sometimes, you get burned.

Hello everyone! The past week went by sooo fast. Because everyone has been at school for a few weeks, all the clubs and organizations are starting to get established. Which means we all become 3x busier…

Sometime a couple weeks ago, the school held an activities fair where students could walk around and talk to all the different clubs. Typical freshman, I signed up for 8 (ish) clubs and there is no possible way I will go to any of their meetings. Last week, all the clubs sent out their emails for their first meetings. I noticed that at least three of the clubs all met this week, on the same day. I wrote them all down in my planner, organized student that I am, and didn’t think anything of it. Until yesterday. Yesterday, I put this week’s athletic schedule in (games, practices, individual sessions, etc.) It just so happens that we have a home volleyball game the day of all of those meetings.

Coincidentally, all of the meetings occur right before or right after my game, but they are just close enough in times that the chances of me making any of them are slim to none. Leaning more on the none. Moral of this story, don’t sign up for 8 (ish) clubs.

On a completely differnt note, my search for a “college church” continues. It’s hard to not judge every little detail of a new church, comparing it with what I’m used to. Some of the things I’m judging don’t make it wrong, just different. I’ve been to two different churches since being here and still don’t feel quite like I’m home there. Of course, it’s hard to tell in just one service what a church is like so I’m trying to just focus on the main aspects of what I’m searching for. Back home, I go to a large church with an amazing praise band that I now realize I took for granted. You can’t find a praise band like that just anywhere. My pastor tells funny stories, not all pastors do. (It certainly makes the sermon more interesting, though!) At my church, the offering plate goes all the way down every aisle. In others, they have some sort of weird pattern that I can’t figure out. Basically just a bunch of small details that make my church search more refined because of what I’m used to and what I like.

Speaking of church, Sunday morning was an interesting morning for me. I woke up an hour earlier than I intended (no clue why or how) and I wasn’t tired. I decided to take advantage of this extra time to curl my hair. I haven’t really had time while at college to set aside for myself for doing my hair,

This is what the burn looked like Sunday evening.

painting my nails, etc. As I was curling my hair on Sunday morning, I began to feel a burn on my wrist. I had set my wrist down on the curling iron….go me. I think I had it sitting there for a while because it is quite the burn.

I’ve been keeping neosporin and a band-aid on it to prevent infection. Yesterday at practice, I passed a ball and felt a little pain from my wrist. Instantly, I had the thought that the blister had popped. This thought was soon confirmed by the feeling of liquid gushing out. As my dad said, “that’s gonna leave a mark.”

College has taught me many lessons while I’ve been here. Sometimes, when you sign up for too many things, you’ll get burned and won’t be able to keep your committments. Or, you get burned out on doing something you used to love doing. You might have to burn bridges connecting you to other people, but it might be for the best. Othertimes, you’ll literally get burned. By a hot object. Who knew growing up could be so painful?

 

I Came Home!

Happy Monday and happy Labor Day! I got to come home to spend the weekend so I’m definitely happy about this holiday!

When I came home, there were a few things I noticed right away that I missed:

The Shower-At college, water pressure sucks. Plain and simple. It takes me 30+ minutes to wash my hair at college (not kidding)! It feels like I barely turned the sink faucet on, and then spread it out through a shower head. My first shower at home, I think it took about 10 minutes or less to wash my hair. Oh, the power of water pressure.

The Bed- This observation was not neccessarily a bad one, but different all the same. In a college dorm, we sleep on twin XL mattresses. Although if I’m honest, I don’t have much faith in the XL part-my feet still touch the end railing. BUT, I do have a wonderful cooling gel memory foam mattress topper that goes on my mattress at college. I’ve gotten used to rolling into the wall, almost falling off the other side, and having my comforter fall off because the wall won’t let it stay on my bed…My first night back at home, I layed down in my bed and, low and behold, I could roll both directions. I could stretch my legs out and not feel the end of the mattress. And, if I feel like sleeping diagonal that is no problem at all. It might be tough to go back to my dorm bed.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes-I love to cook. And while my dorm does have two kitchens that we can use, I just can’t justify going out and getting all the ingredients I need to cook something. Especially since I have a meal plan, so it’s not like I’m being deprived of anything. I didn’t realize how much I missed cooking until I woke up on Saturday morning with the urge to make chocolate chip pancakes-so I did. And they were delicious. Having the ability to make food whenever I want is something I didn’t realize I would miss so much.

My Family, of course-In a family like mine, it would be hard to not notice a difference at college. At college, my brother isn’t ripping hair out of my skull (“but I thought it was a loose one!”) or yelling “HEY!” really loud at me. My little sister isn’t asking to borrow my clothes (she IS borrowing them anyway, though) and my other sister isn’t having nightly dance parties in the hallway with me. My dogs don’t get to go on car rides with me, or leave a cup of slime on my leg after licking me, or ask to be scratched for 20 minutes. I didn’t realize that I actually missed all of it until I was gone. And now that I’m back, I’m not quite sure I miss all of it…. but I do miss a lot of it. And you can bet I’m already looking forward to the next weekend I get to spend home.

My friends-Hanging out, getting icecream, making frozen pizza, etc. I knew I missed them,

We worked on converting Kels into a Husker fan this weekend…and then the game got cancelled 🙁

but I didn’t know how much until I got to hang out with them again! They can make me laugh like no one else can and I’m so happy to have them all in my life, even if I don’t get to see them as much now.

College-Oddly enough, when I got home, I realized I missed college. I miss my roomie, I miss the caf (not sure why but I do), and I miss the friends that I’ve made over the past couple weeks. It hasn’t quite been a month, but college is one of the best things to ever happen to me. I’ve learned a lot, I’ve met people I otherwise would never get to. College impacts you in a way that you can’t understand unless you’re experiencing it. It’s crazy to me that I only get to experience four years of this!

When talking with some friends from high school this weekend, I realized I missed one more thing. High school. Now believe me, I never thought those words would ever come out of my mouth. And I don’t think it’s the actual school part that I miss. It’s the friendships and bonds that were formed over 13 years. It’s the feeling of doing the first ‘lasts’ together with people you’ve grown up with. It’s the student sections, the spirit days, the overall family that was my high school. After high school, you really don’t get to experience that ever again. That’s something I hope I never take for granted. Now, I’m just determined to make the most of college!