Over fall break, I had the chance to visit home for the first time. Fall break began on October 11 and as soon as I got out of class on that Wednesday, my mom came to campus to pick me up. Up until the week before fall break, I was not planning to come home. I was enjoying every moment of college – from the free time with my new friends to even my difficult homework assignments. I didn’t miss home at all. I was so busy and absorbed in my new life that I didn’t have time to even think of home. However, midway through the week, homesickness hit me hard. I’m from Cincinnati, OH, and I wanted nothing more than to go to Skyline with my two close friends, just as we had done nearly every week last year. So, I immediately called my parents and they jumped at the chance to see me for the first time in weeks.
Coming home was a strange feeling. I felt like an outsider in a place I had lived in for the past 15 years of my life. The yellow hue of the kitchen lighting hitting the wood floors and the smell of whatever takeout my dad brought home after work this time hit me as I walked in the door. I never thought I would miss that feeling, but I did and it felt so good to experience it again. Over the next two days, I spent as much time as possible with my family and my old tennis team, and I went to Skyline with my friends (of course).
I was so glad to be home, yet after those two days, I was ready to go back to campus. I was so confused why I loved being home so much, but I wanted to go back to campus so badly. That’s when I realized that I, without a doubt, picked the right college for me. The fact that I was so homesick, yet wanted nothing more than to be at my college showed me how much I love it here at Ohio State. I truly picked the school for me and, while I’ll still visit home every now and then, I have found my new home here in Columbus.