The reality of coming home for winter break

In the final weeks of high school everything was starting to hit me. I was worried and sad that I would be leaving all of my friends behind and about starting this new chapter in my life. 

I thought that the transition to college would be the hardest thing I'd ever go through in my life; I wasn't ready to leave my home, try to start fresh and make new friends, or even try to handle a social life and classes. 

Turns out it was a hell of a lot easier than I expected. 

Sure classes kicked my ass this first semester but everything else was so easy; I made friends, gained a best friend, joined a few clubs, got out a lot, found love again, and made a name for myself. 

Little did I know that coming back home from break was going to be one of the hardest yet best transitions that I had to make. 

Coming home from break makes you realize who your true friends really are. 

I think that was the hardest thing for me; coming home and seeing all my old friends doing stuff together while I watched on through my phone screen. 

But it's normal. 

While that first week was hard because there were only a few people who contacted me and actually wanted to see me, I was able to reflect. 

While some people may not be in your life anymore that doesn't mean that those memories are gone. 

Yes, you gain a lot of favorite memories while at college but that doesn't mean you forget all the great ones you had in high school.

Between the late night gossip, the coffee runs, prom, sleep overs, movies, shopping at the mall, and all those car rides, you still have a lot of good things to hang on to. 

Saying my goodbyes to my friends before I left to take on my first semester away at college was easy. It was coming home and realizing that they were actual goodbyes, the kind that mean "this is it", that was hard. 

However I've learned. I've changed since I've been at school just like I know how all the people I was friends with in high school have. 

Even though I know that I will probably never hear from a majority of them again, I am still so proud and happy for every single one of them. 

When you leave to attend college, that's when most people think they learn who they really are.

But it's when you come home for the first time. 

A big step in life is learning who your life long friends are and sometimes the picture may not be what you expected. 

That doesn't mean it won't be great. 

Published by

Marissa R Anitzberger

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