Readjusting to "Home Sweet Home"
When I was still in high school and I imagined college, the first thing that came to mind was: freedom. No curfew, living by my own rules, and no "checking in". I was pumped to be my own guardian and ruler... Ok I know that sounds a bit exaggerative, but I was so ready to fly from my nest and not look back. And let's be real now, my first year of college was all that and more. I had amazing roommates, a comfortable apartment complex, and the only time I was "checking in" was to make sure, what we had dubbed the "couch boat", was clear for a cuddling sesh. I had gotten use to the semi-restrictive rules that our school Honor Code enforced, but regardless I felt like I was living the dream. I felt a sense of independence and liberty that I had never experienced when I had lived at home. The feeling had given me a glimpse of what life after college offered, a look into the near future where I could come home to MY apartment where I made MY own rules... But alas, my freshman year ended and soon enough I was packing up my bags and heading back to Sin City.
Don't get me wrong Henderson is a great place to live, there are so many parks (with swings!), swimming pools, job opportunities,shopping malls, and it's a great place to work on the perfect tan.While driving into Vegas with the strip lights illuminating our way back into town, I realized that I really had missed home. I missed the familiarity of the environment and the surroundings that I had grown up to love. I missed the sound of my ceiling fan (random I know) and I even kinda missed my proud and sassy cat.
But those feelings of nostalgia lasted only about 3 days, then they were burned away and replaced with the fierce desire to return back to my Idahome. I had grown use to living with my roommates, a different set of sisters. I missed the social life, my weekly class schedule, a certain boy, dances, drives to nowhere, heck I kinda even missed the snow....just a little. But my freedom. My freedom felt like it had been snatched away from me. Suddenly Vegas felt more like a prison than a summertime liberator. All I could see were high school memories of a girl that no longer existed, and was in no way going to be brought back. I felt tired and irritable and overall depressed. I hated the feeling, and no amount of gummy bears was going to get me out of my slump. I needed to find a way out of the pit of self-despair that I was in.Turning back time was out of the question, so all I could do was accept my current situation and stop complaining.
Once I accepted that ,Vegas didn't seem so bad. I made a list of my "2014 Thankfuls and Happys" and Rexburg topped the page. I dedicated my free time to exercising, and reading books that I hadn't yet gotten around to. I prescribed myself to at least 30 minutes in the sunshine every day. And things started to feel better.
Being home is rough and I still dearly miss the Burg, but by looking at this summer as a stepping stone rather than a set back, I've come to terms with the fact that these next 5 months will be ones of a more relaxed and adjusted independence.
Don't get me wrong Henderson is a great place to live, there are so many parks (with swings!), swimming pools, job opportunities,shopping malls, and it's a great place to work on the perfect tan.While driving into Vegas with the strip lights illuminating our way back into town, I realized that I really had missed home. I missed the familiarity of the environment and the surroundings that I had grown up to love. I missed the sound of my ceiling fan (random I know) and I even kinda missed my proud and sassy cat.
But those feelings of nostalgia lasted only about 3 days, then they were burned away and replaced with the fierce desire to return back to my Idahome. I had grown use to living with my roommates, a different set of sisters. I missed the social life, my weekly class schedule, a certain boy, dances, drives to nowhere, heck I kinda even missed the snow....just a little. But my freedom. My freedom felt like it had been snatched away from me. Suddenly Vegas felt more like a prison than a summertime liberator. All I could see were high school memories of a girl that no longer existed, and was in no way going to be brought back. I felt tired and irritable and overall depressed. I hated the feeling, and no amount of gummy bears was going to get me out of my slump. I needed to find a way out of the pit of self-despair that I was in.Turning back time was out of the question, so all I could do was accept my current situation and stop complaining.
Once I accepted that ,Vegas didn't seem so bad. I made a list of my "2014 Thankfuls and Happys" and Rexburg topped the page. I dedicated my free time to exercising, and reading books that I hadn't yet gotten around to. I prescribed myself to at least 30 minutes in the sunshine every day. And things started to feel better.
Being home is rough and I still dearly miss the Burg, but by looking at this summer as a stepping stone rather than a set back, I've come to terms with the fact that these next 5 months will be ones of a more relaxed and adjusted independence.
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