This summer, I planned on being away from home. No offense to my parents, but they manage to really rub me the wrong way after more than three days under their roof. Visits here and there will be manageable and welcome, but I don’t think I could live another summer under the supervision of parentals.

Moving away from home wasn’t hard two summers ago as a freshman. Moving into a house that I plan on calling home for at least two more years is a different story. A dorm room is not a home. Living in a house with my own room and all the other amenities of a home brings forth the realization that my parents’ house might never be completely home again.

I will have to adjust to being a full-time resident at a house that doesn’t belong to my parents.
Before I get into that, I’d like to say there is no other town in the world except East Lansing I would rather call home for my first summer away from Grand Rapids. One thing most students miss is the beauty of the campus during the summer. Campus, for most students, is at its height in the fall. But the greenery, what the school prides itself on, is at its best in the summer and the warmth allows time to continually experience that greatness. During my summer stay, I will be working as the city of East Lansing reporter. It will give me a chance to get to know all the important leaders of the city I now call home for a majority of the year, as well as on the U.S. Census.

The first major hike into the independent living world is a trip to the grocery store. I’ve been to the grocery store before, but venturing to Meijer to start a kitchen collection from scratch is a daunting task. Sure, you get all the items you want, but it’s quite easy to forget things that usually you take for granted. When I returned from the store, there was a noticeable feeling I had forgotten things I wanted, but could not determine what they were. No matter what anyone says, there’s a certain comfort of having a stocked pantry that was there long before you had to begin your independent shopping.

The next major hurdle I never found to be a problem before, but might pose one in the future, is not having a parent to remind me of tasks. This is where my parents really made my blood boil because most of the time they let me have virtually all the freedom I wanted. But without my parents, will I be inclined to clean my dishes, my room or the bathroom? Through the first week it hasn’t been a problem, but that also might have something to do with my roommates. For the most part, they are very clean and responsible people who have kept the house in working order for two years.

I have been preparing myself for this time for as long as I can remember. This is the time I gain full independence from my parents. Living without their constant reminders and nagging to do things around the house will be more than welcome. Despite the few hurdles I mentioned — which don’t seem too much of a hassle — this summer should be amazing.

Although I might call East Lansing home this summer and for the past two years, there is something I realized when writing this column: My home will always be Grand Rapids.

My parents have lived in our Grand Rapids home for my entire existence. That is the only place I’ll ever be able to go and feel completely comfortable. I know the streets of the city like the back of my hand and I always will. It will come again in a new city — it almost has here — but there’s something about the familiarity of the very first town you live in.

One thing is for sure, nothing beats a mother’s cooking — even if she’s not very good at it.

Pat Evans is a State News staff writer. Reach him at evanspa@msu.edu.