This past weekend my dad drove all the way down to Iowa City and brought me back home. On Friday he drove 3 hours down and almost immediately drove 3 hours back. We arrived home around 8pm where we were greeted by my mom, my grandma, my two aunts, and my sweet dogs, Claire and Cooper.

Seeing my family in person was a gift in itself. In today’s generation we are so lucky to be able to call and video chat our family whenever we want to. Being able to FaceTime my parents has made the distance and transition to college a lot easier.

Back home my extended family has an apple orchard. The orchard was started by my grandpa and was passed on to my Aunts and Uncle. Together they have created a successful business that has become a family tradition for thousands of families. Almost my whole entire family -aunts, uncles, and cousins- work at the orchard. For me, it truly is a family tradition.

This past weekend was my first time being there this season. It was weird not being there in person on opening day. The orchard is a place I’d get food every day after school, hang out with friends, and work on the weekends. Essentially where my whole entire Fall is spent. Being able to visit, even for just a day, was something I wish I could bottle in a jar and keep forever in Iowa City.

I spent my day saying hello to all my friends and family, shopping, and eating LOTS of food. I am very fortunate that in my town it’s common for everyone from high school to work at the apple orchard. As a result, so many of my high school friends were working which allowed me to catch up with them all.

After saying all my hello’s, I went home to get ready for dinner. My 3 best friends and grandma came over to celebrate me being home. Our meal wouldn’t have been complete without our dessert coming from Molly’s cupcakes. As everyone already knows, Molly’s Cupcakes are delicious!!! I had to bring a little bit of Iowa City back home with me.

Coming back home was a little strange at first. I live in the middle of cornfields with the closest-small-grocery store about 13 minutes away. At Iowa, I am so used to being able to walk anywhere for food or Starbucks I might be craving. At home, I remembered how much quieter it is. There are no street-lamps on our road or people riding mopeds. It was a good change to walk outside and only see the cornfields across the street and the stars in the sky.

My weekend came and went in the blink of an eye. Before I knew it, I was back in the car for a 3-hour drive. It was a little strange being home the first night. I had my bedroom all to myself, no bathroom to share, and I could shower without wearing sandals on.

Nothing will ever compare to being home, but nothing will ever be the same as Iowa. I love Iowa for the late nights that never end, convenience of anything I need, and the school spirit the whole entire town possesses.

For lots of people home is like a nest. A safe place and somewhere you can always count on being welcomed. Personally, I knew after being away for 6 weeks I had to come home. Connect with my family and friends again. The weekend was the perfect length to “fly” back to my nest, and then head back into my adventure of college.