On the plane back home

Home. How might it have changed from when I left it? Having been three months since I was last there, changes surely occurred. But what might those be? Every day I talk to my mom, so I know what is happening back at home. However, hearing changes is not the same as experiencing them. And small changes that may appear insignificant to her could seem grand to me.

As far as my relationships with people, I have seen my mom several times since I left for college, and I talk to her every day, so that will not be any different than it was before I left or than it was since I last saw her. Delna came to visit me at the end of October. I know, lucky me! When we saw each other, our strong bond had not changed; however, it did take a short bit to click back into how in sync our interactions were previously. I talk to her either every day or every other day, so we are still an integral part of each others' lives. My relationships with the two people, who are a huge part of my life at home, will most likely be unchanged.

I do assume that seeing my classmates from high school will be different. Of my closest group of friends, not many are home because they stayed on the east coast for Thanksgiving (the three of them met in NYC). However, my interactions with the several that will be home will be very comforting to be with old time friends. Since when I was in school with my more distant acquaintances, I didn't hang out with them all the time, it will be interesting to see how our relationships to each other have changed and who has remained in contact with each other. Conversations will likely consist of how you are enjoying college, what you are involved in on campus, what classes you are taking, and so forth...the things that often compose conversations that are considered small talk. Nonetheless, seeing people from my "past life" (as my anthropology teacher would say) will be a refreshing experience.

Daily activities will be the same: breakfast, workout, shower, lunch, and whatever in the afternoon. One thing that many college students have struggled with when returning home (as I have heard since I am yet to experience it) is dealing with a curfew. Often high school students have curfews; however, once at college, they no longer have a curfew or a parent watching over them - that is part of the liberating feeling of freedom and independence that comes with college. Upon returning home, parents enforce that curfew again. This can often be difficult because the student goes from having no curfew to having his freedom restricted. Nevertheless, I do not expect this to be a problem with me because in high school I did not have a curfew, since I often returned home at a reasonable hour anyway.

While I do not face the curfew "problem," I do have the house situation to deal with. My mom is still living in my old house. However, before I left for college, I said bye to my room and that house, expecting that when I returned for Thanksgiving and Christmas the house would no longer be ours. Surprisingly, we still own the hose and my room is still there. While this is a very nice feeling to return to something familiar, I was prepared for it not being so. I have the comfort of my own home to look forward to, but my mom also just bought a new house. So, I am caught in the in-between phase of still having my old home but having the excitement of a new home as well. Things in my old house will not have changed drastically, but, now there will be a new enthusiasm. And I have seen the new house already, which is part of the weirdness to it. We had looked at the house in the middle to the end of summer. Much to my surprise and happiness, three months later the house is now our home. My twelfth home (if I counted correctly) with many more to come.

So, C.H.A.N.G.E. It comes upon us whether we want it to or not. But will the change we expect be the same as what it actually is? That is the real question. The only way to answer that question is to live. Live your life and discover the mysteries to your questions.