Home Away from Home

   
     Growing up I always thought I’d go far when that time came for college. As a matter of fact I thought that up until about a year ago. Always arguing with both my brothers, my three sisters and my parents I felt I needed to escape. “One day you will all miss me! I’m going to college and never coming back!” I’d say. I imagined going somewhere warm since I am not a fan of cold weather. Somewhere beautiful, tropical and most important distant. That fantasy slowly drifted from me when I was forced to come back to reality and face the cost of an education instate and an education out of state. After visiting various schools and figuring out the budget Southern seemed to be the best choice.

     I've spent two weeks in college and I’ve become conscious of what my greatest challenge is. My greatest obstacle is not the work load, the walking to classes, or the balancing of social life and school. The real challenge is living so close to home. I personally feel that as an incoming freshman I need to be thrown into a big place that I am not familiar with. I need to depend on myself and my instincts using everything I’ve learned in the past eighteen years of my life. However my parents don’t feel that way. My parents think that because I chose a college so close to them that they can come visit more frequently and come pick me up more frequently then they would if I had went farther away.

     I feel as if I need time away from what I know. I need space to make my own mistakes. Having the choice to go home every weekend is hard. It is difficult for me to stay here with new people rather then go home to my friends who know and love me. It is difficult for me to hear my parents response to me saying I wont becoming home to see them this weekend. They are taking my time away from home personally but at the same time they’re realizing they were once young and felt the same way.

I know that sooner or later everything is going to pan out. I am my parents first child to go to college. I’m going to prove to everyone that I’m going to be ok on my own. I have morals and standards for myself. I’ve spread my wings and I’m ready to fly.