To Go Home or Not to Go Home

Every weekend I ask myself this question, "Should I go home this weekend?". The answer has been a resounding "no" for the last couple weekends. I just can't see the point in going home for two days and losing the hard earned routine I have made for myself. I have finally adjusted to my schedule and the workload and don't want to leave for a weekend and then spend monday trying to get back in the swing of things. Don't get me wrong, I really miss my family, friends, dog, town, everything! But going home and seeing them for 48 hours and then coming back here to a load of work just doesn't seem like a fair tradeoff. Thankfully my parents understand completely and have no problem just seeing me for cross country meets. Part of the reason I'm so reluctant to go home is the obligation that I have to my school work. My parents are paying a lot of money for me to be here and the least I can do is hold up my end of the bargain and not let their money go to waste. I have heard that a lot of the friends I had in high school are really having problems adjusting and have been home EVERY weekend. I'm thankful to not be having these issues. The cross country team is basically my family here at Wartburg and the Pre-Med/Bio major coursework is keeping me pretty busy. Another reason why I'm reluctant to go home is really about my own personal pride more than anything. I feel that if I run home to mommy and daddy every weekend then it proves that college is really too much for me to handle and I KNOW this is not the case. I told myself all throughout high school listening to upperclassmen talk about how hard of a time they were having that I would not be one of those kids. I would take what college throws at me and deal with it ON MY OWN! I know that I can be independent and college is a great time to prove to myself that this is true. When I go home, it will be for more of a vacation than anything, a time to relax, hang out with family and friends and tell my college stories. When I go home I will make sure that there is nothing waiting for me when I come back, which will most likely be on a break of some sort. College is a time for me to prove to myself that I can be independent, and I can take what life throws at me. I will solve problems on my own and in the end I will be a better person because of it.