I’ve been home for awhile now. In that time, I’ve been working as a waitress, hanging out with friends from home and even took a trip to NYC – but a lot happened before any of that.

As I was leaving campus, I said goodbye to classmates, packed up my room and about six boxes later I was ready to go home. On the three-hour car ride home, my mom, sister and I talked about all of the fun things they had planned over the summer with me. We’re taking a couple of family cabin trips, and soon we’ll be going to the beach.

What they failed to mention is that they had done some remodeling while I was gone.When I got home, I discovered that the living room had all been redone with new furniture and flooring, and there were new fixtures in the kitchen. I made my way back to my room, opened that familiar purple door and inside found everything that used to be in the living room and kitchen. That’s right. In the time between Easter break and now, my room had become a storage unit. Needless to say, there was not enough room for me and my six boxes. The dialogue that followed was distinctly reminiscent of my junior high years with my mother. It was less than nostalgic.

There were a lot of sour slumbers on the new couch until I got my room all cleaned out, but the question that I am trying to pose here is how do you go from complete independence to living with your family again? Obviously, there are adjustments to be made.

When I was away from home and only had one roommate to deal with I definitely got spoiled. When you’re homesick and thinking how much you miss your brother and sister, you seem to forget that he chronically leaves toys in your room – toys that are normally pointy and hurt very much when you step on them. It escapes your mind that your sister steals your clothes all the time.

So I lay on the couch reflecting: I’ve got three more months here and no escape to Gannon until the end of August, and still the question, how to adjust from one roommate to four?

Having a summer job has been a godsend. It gives me just enough time away from my family that I’m not there ALL the time. During the day, I get the house to myself while Autumn and Nathan are at school and mom and dad are at work. I spend my time gardening, which is doing wonders for my tan, and scrapbooking my freshman year, which makes me happy to think about all of the good times I had at Gannon this year. It’s all rather therapeutic and in spite of my initial dramatic freakout, I think I’m going to be just fine.

– Brianna