Sweet home Massachusetts

Tomorrow I leave Southern California, after what has been the longest week and a half of my life. I had some time for relaxation and introspection, but what meant the most to me was the chance to get out of what everyone calls "the Claremont bubble" and explore the surrounding area on my own terms. The campus is going to seem a lot smaller this coming fall, and I hope I'll be able to deal with that. I'll have to keep reminding myself that I can, with a little effort, always get out and go to a jazz club, or walk around in Hollywood, or beach it for an afternoon.
My official end of college happened two Sundays ago, when myself and two of my remaining friends sat on a blanket under a palm tree, ate burritos and drank Miller High Life. It was a very nice way to go out. Leaving the next morning would've been perfect. But instead I got to hang around, working my own hours, buying my own groceries, doing basically whatever I wanted. It bore no resemblance to college--maybe it could be called purgatory. It made me more than ready to go home, where there is food besides tortillas, cheese, beans and cereal, where there are friends to hang out with, where my parents provide me with motivation to get out of the house and work. I'm sure I'll be dying to get out after a month, but for now, I'm blissfully looking forward to a non-nasty bathroom and a queen-sized bed.