Move-in day.

I said goodbye to the dogs, to the couch, to the kitchen and to that weird stain on the ceiling

To my crying parents and old friends I may never see again

I felt my tires begin to move on the pavement as I pressed the gas

Although I’ve lived in this city, I don’t recognize these changes

Suddenly it’s normal to sit by yourself or almost get hit by a Bird going 50 miles an hour

To jump in a fountain or paint rocks white

Kiss the football field or run through limestone columns

The thing is, I found myself enjoying it: staying up late

My dorm floor playing Just Dance in the lobby, making new friends

Sitting in lecture halls as big as my high school’s graduating class

Wondering what the deal is with the talk about campus squirrels

Going to class on four hours of sleep, running on poorly made coffee

The immense free time and freedom I now have

I like change; in fact, I invite change

I’m ready to experience being here and living on my own

As each day passes, I’m getting used to my new life

It’s so much better than eight hours of sitting in tiny chairs at the old school

or eating dry lunch food I swear messed up my stomach  for awhile

I joined the choir and the newspaper that you’re reading now

Yet I find myself homesick, missing the childhood I had

When I didn’t have to think about campus jobs or paying for college

Going home on the weekend is nice but

I miss my dogs

Edited by Ever Cole | Ecole@themaneater.com

Copy Editor — Amelia Hurley | Ahurley@themaneater.com

Copy Chief — Jacob Richey | jrichey@themaneater.com