Fall Break

 This weekend I was lucky enough to go home and visit my family. I don’t live too far from campus, but even making the hour and a half drive is something I haven’t been able to do during this busy semester. We have rehearsals every weekend, and usually by Sunday I’m too wiped out to drive home just to do a quick visit. I find myself feeling weird when I go home, almost like I’m wishing for it to feel more like home than it is. I’m sure this is a feeling most people get, but it’s weird to see your family’s new normal not include you. It is also hard to go from living on your own, on your own terms and rules to go back home even for a few days and live on someone else’s time. My brother is a senior in high-school this year, and when we both went to our school we were very involved. My dad also works at our school, so all the years I went there it was more like a second home. I haven’t ever had a year in my life, where I wasn’t involved in the school’s activities until this year. Last year, everything was canceled because of Covid so I really didn’t miss much. This year, I am really feeling everything I am missing out on. My family is still just as involved, just without me. I even am missing my brother’s final senior show, because of our show here. All of these things sting just a little bit, but I think it makes going home that much more special. When I do get to spend time with my family, we always have something to talk about and were all in such different places in our lives. My brother is finally at the stage of graduating I was at right before Covid hit, and it is so weird how fast it goes and now he is graduating. We’re probably the closest we’ve ever been, and I think it’s the space that made us realize how much we appreciate each other. This weekend we hung out so much, and I was so excited to get all of the good food from home that is NOT Mac or Wow. My favorite place to eat in Toledo is Kengo sushi, and they ended up being closed all weekend which was the biggest bummer. After we realized Kengo was closed, my mom suggested PF Changs, so we drove 25 minutes to only realize they were also closed. All was right in the world after I went to lunch with my dad right before I came back to school at my favorite place to get bubble tea, Balance. I used to go there after school with all of my friends, before Covid hit and they only opened their inside dining since I’ve been back at school this year. It was the best send off for me back to school, and I’m already to go back home for Thanksgiving.