Being home makes me wish I were still in high school. I guess that’s just because I have such an awesome family and I want to be around them more. I still love Hope… just hear me out ’till the end, trust me.
So maybe you’re a senior in high school, which is who I’m thinking of as I write this, but maybe you’re not. This is still something to think about.
Home is where warm candles are lit, where vanilla scents waft up my senses constantly, and fuzzy blankets are always there to snuggle under and watch a TV program while munching on my mom’s homemade popcorn. Home is my cat and dog, cuddling into me at any moment they can. It’s my mom’s cooking: real, fresh food. Home is my brothers and my step-sisters laughing, my step-dad cracking the jokes, and my mom rolling her eyes behind it all.
Home is comforting; everything about it screams, “Stay here!”
What if I did?
Whenever I get the feeling that home is a better place than anywhere else, I ask myself this. I wouldn’t have made the friends that I have so far, learned as much about myself as I have, and learned as much about others as I have. Home is cool and all, but nothing compares to the beauty of Holland. The lakes, trees, and hills, keep me grounded. Not to mention the fresh set of friendly people that surround me.
While home may be comforting, it’s important to get out there in the world, and push yourself out of your comfort zone a little bit. Without that, growth would never come. Without growth, I’d just be a stagnant person, munching on my mom’s popcorn and listening to my step-dads same corny jokes until I get old and can’t hear him anymore.
I’m exaggerating. But still.
Home is where the heart is but Hope is where my heart grows. While I wish I could have more time here, I know it’s time to get back to the books and friends that are waiting for me in Holland. Every day there is an adventure, and I need to continue mine.
Seniors: I hope that as you think about college and where you’re going to end up next year you remember to enjoy the moments you have at home right now. It’s sad but true that you will get less and less of them as time goes on. The good part is that a new chapter in your book is about to start, and whoever is at home is hopefully ready to cheer you on.
Until next time,
Brooke
If you have any questions for me you can contact me at brookelyn.wharton@hope.edu, through Hope on Facebook, or my twitter @hopebrooke18! I’d love to answer them!