COLUMN: Leaving with a smile
Oh what a difference a year can make.
There’s no denying I’m thrilled to be just days from heading home for the summer as I write this column. Soon I’ll be able to cuddle up with my cocker spaniel, laugh with old friends, hug my mom and dad and shower without wearing flip flops. I’m more than ready to escape the confines of my smallish dorm room and head back to the hometown I so desperately love to hate. Summer break, I’ve been waiting for you.
Yet I can’t help but notice the end of my second year of college feels quite different than the end of my first. The end of my first year came slowly, after much wailing and gnashing of teeth. I remember returning from the library to find that my roommate had moved out for the summer while I was gone. Rather than feeling sad that I hadn’t said goodbye, I was a bit relieved to have some space to myself. Actually, I didn’t say goodbye to anyone when it came time to leave. Once I’d turned in the key to my room, I ran to the car thinking, “See ya later, suckers!”
When I moved back to Verm this fall, I noticed something strange. I was waving to people I recognized. People greeted me with smiles and hugs. My roommate was someone I’d actually met before. In fact, despite the inevitable sadness upon the end of summer and leaving the comforts of home, it almost felt a little bit like I was happy to be back.
Adjusting to college life can be a long and arduous process — especially if, like me, your home is more than a few hours away and you’ve never been on your own for longer than a week. You can feel lonely and sad and wonder if you made the right decision. You might even leave at the end of the year without a glance in the rearview mirror. But given enough time, you may be surprised by how much things can change. Even without putting as much effort as I could have into making myself at home in Vermillion, I discovered I was pretty capable of looking out for myself. I even made some great friends along the way.
So this year, instead of twiddling my thumbs until I can hit the road, I’ll be trying to find time for studying and one last hangout with my new college friends. Even though I’m thrilled to be headed home, as my folks and I pull out onto the highway with the U-Haul in tow, I’ll feel a little sentimental pang that’s less “See ya, suckers!” and more “Until next time, Verm.” And that, my friends, is the difference a year can make.
