Since being at college, the week off for Thanksgiving break was my second time visiting home. This break was very much needed because college has not been an easy transition for me. I knew that spending some time at home and away from the daily stressors and responsibilities would be beneficial.

While being at home, I spent a lot of my time helping my family. I drove and picked up my sister from volleyball practice and racked leaves with my father where I enjoyed the cool, brisk fall weather for the last time.

In addition to doing chores at home, I was able to work about 20 hours at Tropical Smoothie Cafe. I worked there for about 14 months prior to attending college and will be working there as a seasonal employee. I was working with new co-workers during the week who were all nice and good company. I missed working more than I thought and not just for the money. I missed interacting with people and seeing their smiles when they sipped their smoothies.

Over my break, I spent time seeing my friends who are still in high school as well as my best friend from my childhood. Whether it was getting food or going to Target, I enjoyed hanging out with my friends. It was nice to catch up with them and talk about how school was going for us. While I didn’t get to see all my friends, I’m glad for the ones I did see. Within three weeks I’ll be back home where I already have plans set to see them.

The biggest joy of the whole week was getting to hang out with my sister. Our relationship has always been fluctuating in the sense that at times we were best friends and the next day we were enemies. Either way, I love her so much and miss her deeply. Being able to hang out with her at my friend’s hockey game and watching the new Hunger Games movie with her, were memories I am glad I got to experience with her.

While the break was short and over now, it gave me time to reflect on what I love the most about these two places I call home. My hometown is where my family and friends are. The familiarity of my hometown brings me happiness and is a place I can always run back to if I need to. Iowa City though has given me such amazing communities to be a part of and allowed me to pursue my education on my own terms.

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A part of me misses the way my life was prior to coming to college. I had fewer responsibilities and it was easier to access things. Now I rely on the Cambus and walk to get to places such as Starbucks or class rather than hopping in my parent’s car and driving to my destination.

Whether I’m in class, studying, or eating meals at the dining hall, I spend a good chunk of my time alone. This same feeling is relatable to a lot of college students. My friends have expressed their feelings of homesickness and their struggles with living on their own.

I myself, have struggled with homesickness. One of the reasons why I chose to attend the University of Iowa was because if I wanted to visit my family or have them visit me, that option was available. While I did apply to colleges closer to home, the closest being a 45-minute drive, I knew that I had to get out of my shell.

Since starting college in August, I have seen my family three times. I visited my family over Labor Day weekend at my grandparent’s cottage up in Wisconsin which has always felt like a home away from home to me. Two weeks later my family came up for a weekend and we went to the Western Michigan football game. And then a week ago I went home for the weekend.

My family were originally planning to come and visit me for the Minnesota football game but my dad had conflicting plans the next day and the hotel prices were not cheap. We came to the conclusion that it was cheaper for me to visit them and this past weekend worked for both of our schedules. My bus tickets costed around $130 for a direct round trip.

I left for my trip on Friday afternoon. I was nervous to take the bus because it was a new experience for me, but I was also excited to see my family. My sister had no idea that I was visiting this weekend and I was excited to surprise her.

When I opened the door to my house the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. My sister was right there at the front door and was so surprised to see me. Seeing her face and her crying made my heart melt because me and my sister have such a wonderful relationship. It took years of fighting to realize that she was my built-in best friend.

After eating my dinner we drove to my friend’s hockey game. While there I got to catch up with my other friends that had invited me. It felt good to catch up with them since we don’t talk much over text. The next day was my sister’s volleyball tournament, which was uneventful because her team dominated the other schools and won every match. Afterward, my sister joined me to run a few errands. Driving in the car with my sister is something that I missed a lot more than I realized. Driving was such a big part of my life because it was a struggle for me to learn and was something I did every day. Now, I rely on the Cambus and friends to get me places which is so surreal after driving myself everywhere.

Saturday evening I met my friend at her Uncle’s house where her cousin was having her birthday party. My friend’s cousin was turning four and it was a costume party which just warmed my heart seeing the kids dressed up. My friend and I spent an hour there and then left and went thrifting and grabbed cookies to bake back at her house. As the cookies baked in the oven, we put on Get Out which is a thriller movie streaming on Netflix.

Sunday morning my family and I went to church where I saw my friend that played hockey on Friday night. It felt good to catch up with him since we don’t talk over text much either. Unfortunately, I was not able to talk to him long because I had plans with another friend. I met my other friend at Cane’s for lunch and we had such an amazing conversation together. After lunch, the two of us went to Walmart where she grabbed a quilt for her bed. Afterward, I spent the rest of the day chilling at home and enjoying my parents and my dog’s company.

Monday morning my bus was scheduled to leave at 12 pm so my parents took me and my sister out for breakfast since she had the day off from school for Columbus Day.

Overall, visiting home was a success. I did everything that I was planning to do and more which felt good. I don’t plan to see my family again until Thanksgiving break which may seem like a long time from now but with academics and my social life, time will go by faster than I think. If the homesickness starts to affect your ability to study or see friends then take a weekend trip home or call your parents or your sibling. I call my mom at least once a week just to tell her how’s life going and see how’s volleyball going for my sister.

Whenever I feel homesick I remind myself that family is forever. In this chapter of my life, I have to do it without my family and while that seems scary, it just makes the moments with them so much more sweeter.

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Growing up, I have always admired how welcoming the people are in the Midwest. I grew up in a suburb outside of Chicago and attended high school with over 3,000 students. No matter where I was, the community was always welcoming. I had built meaningful friendships and was inspired by many teachers there. Community has always been something I searched for and I found it at my high school through my journalism class and at the youth group at my local church. 

That same feeling of community that I felt back home was presented to me at Iowa during the On Iowa! program. I was provided so many opportunities for me to get involved and interact with my fellow classmates. The week allowed me to meet people in my residence hall as well as those who have the same major as me. 

Besides the people, I have also had the chance this week to explore the dining halls and buildings that the campus offers. One of the reasons why I chose to come to Iowa was because of the beautiful campus and access to downtown Iowa City. Having a Target near campus even though small, has been a real help when needing those life essentials I didn’t realize I needed before I started college.

My favorite On Iowa! activity was probably dancing at Hubbard Park at the Silent Disco. I was familiar with the concept because of social media but for those who don’t know, a silent disco is where people gather and wear headphones that play music instead of listening to music through speakers. At the Disco you had three different DJs playing music at the same time and the headphones allowed you to switch through the channels and adjust the volume. I spent the whole night changing channels because each DJ had songs that I enjoyed. There were times when me and my friends listened to the same DJ and other times we didn’t, but that was what made the experience so cool. No matter what DJ you were listening to, you still sang the lyrics and danced. I’m so glad that I was able to go because it was such an easy social experience that I loved and would do again.

Another On Iowa! event I attended was the Pitch Perfect movie night at the Iowa Memorial Union. I had seen the movie before but it was still enjoyable to watch. I loved how the audience and I reacted to the movie whether we clapped or laughed. After Pitch Perfect, a bunch of girls and I headed outside to the River Amphitheater where Thursdays on the Terrace was being held. That night they had students singing karaoke with a live band playing the song as well.

The next day my friends and I headed to Kickoff at Kinnick which took me by surprise. I was expecting all of us to sit in the bleachers and was looking forward to it after I had walked half a mile to get to the stadium but instead, we all gathered on the field. It felt surreal to be on the football field instead of in the audience. What I loved about the Kickoff was learning the Fight Song and shouting I-O-W-A in the different corners of the stadium. I was lucky enough to get the season tickets so I’m looking forward to game days.

The block I photo with the class of 2027 on Sunday was brutal. It was a hot day but in the end, the photo was worth it. Having that photo as a memory that I get to look back on will make the journey worthwhile. Struggling through exams will not compare to the simple discomfort I felt that day. I know I have bigger battles ahead of me, but I’m ready for it.

I have been lucky enough to have made some good friends so far and found communities that are welcoming me with open arms. Iowa is a school that wants its students to thrive and that might mean being uncomfortable. Whether it’s the 90-degree weather or studying for a midterm, it will all be worth it for the good memories that lie ahead.

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