Missing "Home"

Go Hawkeyes! When I arrived to the University of Iowa campus on Sunday evening, the first order of business was to attend the Welcome Back Block Party outside the President's house. There was music, a pep rally, free food, and lots of Iowa students hanging out and getting back into the swing of school. It's so cute how you can pick out the groups of freshmen walking around in their Iowa t-shirts and matching hawkeye lanyards for their student id's and dorm keys. Being at the block party made me really homesick for some reason, because I started to realize that I will be missing out on game days in Auburn for the first time in 6 years! Once that reality set in, I started to think about all of the people that I'm usually surrounded by this time every year, and all at once I began to realize that this is real life. I'm not actually going back to Auburn any more, and it's time to grow up. Weird, huh? I haven't been in Auburn since the last week of June, and it has taken until the middle of August for me to come to this realization. The fact that school has now started, and I see the girls come in and out of the house all day on their way to class makes this all the more real.

Bowling league has begun in Auburn, and I received texts last night with the play by play. Football season kicks off next week, and I won't be around for the tailgates, or to sit in our section next to the band during the games. How are they going to do all the cheers and dance to the songs without me? I won't have tons of shakers in my car left over from the games this year. I won't be having the discussion of where to eat dinner in the bottom of the 3rd quarter or where to hang out after the game. And I will miss singing along to the alma mater after the game has ended. And most importantly, I won't get my nightly fill of hot dogs from the hot dog stand downtown on my way home!

However, on the flip side....I am getting to travel all over the country to different college campuses, and I get to experience their culture and traditions. I get to meet hundreds of people and have the opportunity to impact their lives! I have already formed close relationships with the girls who are working with me, and talk to them daily about the experiences we encounter. Already I notice myself growing so much as a person, and can't begin to imagine who I am going to be this time next year. In the short 2 months that I have been away from "home", I have learned that "home" is where the people are, and with technology these days that means that "home" is wherever you need it to be at that moment. Each day I am able to talk to friends back "home" whether it be through facebook, aim, texting, calling, emails, or skype. Skype is probably my favorite channel of communication these days because you can almost feel like you're in the room with your family and friends via video. I cherish every opportunity I have to see those familiar faces and hear their voices. You really come to know who your true friends are, based on the effort and level of communication you share. There are so many people in my life that I consider to be my true friends, and I LOVE that no matter how much physical distance is between us we can still find the time to maintain our friendship.



When you travel to a different place every week, life can definitely become stressful and lonely. I am just thankful for all of the wonderful people I have in my life that keep in touch with me so that "home" is only a click away. God Bless these amazing people in my life!