Nobody Warned Me About This Part
People tell you university will change you.
They tell you about the freedom.
The independence.
The new friends.
Nobody really tells you about the quiet moments.
The strange thing about missing home is that it doesn't always happen on bad days.
Sometimes it sneaks up on you after an ordinary phone call.
You hang up.
The room goes quiet.
And for the first time all day, you realize how much distance can fit between two people who love each other.
I used to think I'd call home to tell stories about university.
To talk about lectures, assignments, or something funny that happened during the day.
But somewhere along the way, I realized I wasn't always calling because I had something to say.
Sometimes, I just wanted to hear a familiar voice.
To be reminded that somewhere beyond the deadlines, the hostel walls, and the pressure of figuring life out, there was still a place where I didn't have to explain myself.
It's funny how home changes when you leave it.
You stop noticing the little things until they're no longer part of your everyday life.
The sound of people moving around the house.
The conversations you once ignored.
The comfort of simply knowing your family was in the next room.
I used to think loneliness meant having nobody around.
Now I know you can be surrounded by people and still miss the place that made you feel most like yourself.
Maybe this is part of growing up.
Learning that some seasons aren't meant to be escaped.
They're meant to shape you.
And maybe nobody warned us because everyone has to experience this part for themselves.
Maybe that's okay.
What's one thing about growing up that nobody warned you about?
Aven
See you in the next chapter. 🌿
#InkAndBecoming #FindingMyFeet #StudentLife #AcademicWriter #GrowingUp
