Just Pitschin’ Ideas: How to Navigate Going Home

by Madison Pitsch 

Dedicated to my baby sister, Maggie.  

Everytime I come come from college, we hug each other, I tell her I’ve missed her, she says, “I missed you too, Madison” and then, we start yelling. 

It’s hard to come home and fit back into the family unit after you’ve been on your own for so long. Yes, you will always love your family, but man, they don’t seem to understand the need for PERSONAL SPACE. Thankfully, I’ve re—entered the motherland (home) a couple times, so I’ve made some notes to help you survive the next month. 

1. Sit down. Be humble— That’s right, my peeps. Your parents raised you, this is their house. Which means their rules, too. Yeah you might be a big, bad college student but remember who cleaned up your poopy diapers in the beginning. Your parents are the OG. 

1. Help Out— You want to know a way to make your parents love you forever? Vacuum or do chores around the house without being asked. It’ll shock them, make them love you forever and help them realize that sending you away to college was not a waste of money. Booyah. I’m sure my parents would love it if I did something like that. 

1. Pick your battles— Yes, lots of things will bug you, but you get to choose how to react. So maybe your little sibling asking you to watch Newsies for the 17th time isn’t your ideal situation, but remember, it’s only because they miss you. 

1. Chill Out— Okay, the first couple of days are going to be rough, but you get back into the groove after a couple days. And then you get all sentimental about how great your family is and how much you love being back and then you think about how you never want to leave. It’s a vicious cycle, really.  

1. Independence— So far, you’ve been out on your own and doing your own thing. So to come back to a structured environment, where you have to obey other people’s rules and can’t stay out till 4 a.m. (do people even do that anymore?) is rough. My advice? Remember you only get this time once. So yeah, maybe having a curfew when you’re home might really stink, but remember, your parents only do the things they do because they love you. 

Hope this helps! 

Madison