I am really happy that I am going to school 1,356 miles away from home. Omaha, Nebraska was a fantastic place to grow up; I received a great education, was able to do lots of things, and all those things they say on “Best Places to Raise Children” lists. But Nebraska was neither where I wanted to go to college nor where I want to live in the future.
Arizona State was not my first choice for school, mainly because so much family lived nearby. My brother, sister-in-law, nieces, sister, nephew, aunt, uncle, great aunts all live in the Phoenix metro area. I grew up fairly isolated from my extended family which let me grow up very differently than my friends. It taught me a greater sense of independence and a huge sense of gratitude for the short time I got to spend with relatives like my grandparents. It was weird I would have such great access to family.
But, even now as I have lots of family, I still don’t spend all that much time with them. Not like some of the kids who live in the state. Numerous kids on my floor go home at least every weekend, some once a month. One constant between all of the Arizona residents who return home? They take their laundry. I must say: I’m really jealous because they don’t have to pay for laundry.
That may sound completely materialistic, but I do not like paying $1.50 to wash a rather small load of clothes. I feel overcharged and do not enjoy that feeling; laundry cards are really expensive as well. The kids on my floor who grew up in Arizona can go home; do laundry; and talk to their family.
Outside of the high price, I miss someone taking care of something for me. I miss folding laundry with my little sister while watching the Golden Girls. I miss sorting clothes with my mom and talking. I miss watching my dad get stressed when I don’t get the laundry upstairs soon enough. I miss the way my clothes used to smell. Despite using the same detergent, they still don’t smell like home; must’ve been Mom and Dad’s loving touch! I mean, it’s nice not paying and doing laundry at my aunt’s house, but it’s not quite the same. You never expect to miss the sucky horrible things that you detested doing, like vacuuming and laundry, but laundry at my house is something I really miss.
Distance isn’t specifically prohibiting or promoting our journey through college to be “mature adults” so much as it’s really putting the duty into our hands. I may hate doing laundry (and I really hate missing my family), but I like that I finally have to do it. After that conclusion, I guess distance is definitely improving my journey to “mature adult” because at least it is forcing me to recognize weaknesses and needs.
So… I guess I will be excited to go home in December. If anything, my sister and I will fold laundry together again.
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