Until recently, my permanent address was the same as my parents’, as well as my sister’s and brother’s. Despite the fact that I spent more time at college than home, after my 18th birthday, I still considered my home to be where I felt the most comfortable, and I enjoyed coming back on breaks and during summers.

I was used to talking with my mother almost every day, asking my father questions about the world and hanging out with my siblings. Those days were both good and annoying times of my life. Good because I generally enjoyed the time I spent with family and knew there would come a day when that kind of time with them would no longer be possible. Annoying because, firstly, like anyone close to you when you live with them for a while, my siblings could be hard to live with at some points, and more importantly, because the busyness of my world kept me from really spending the amount of time I wanted to with them.

Time went quickly, and here I am, within the first few months of starting my life as a newlywed and an off-campus resident of Greene County. Not only that, but I am in my final year at college as well. This is the year that everything is changing in my life.

Now that I live away from home, I miss my family very much, including my 4-year-old Australian Shepherd and Pug/Jack Russel mix dog. Although I know I will visit my parents and siblings when given the chance, I also understand that those days of consistently seeing them every day are gone.

Relish the time that you have to spend with your family, because if you are a college student, you are quickly approaching a day when you will be moving on from their home to find your own way, and you may not know where that new location will be.

Recently, I became interested in discovering more about my extended family. I realized that I am not only just beginning to be more disconnected from my immediate family, but that I am already disconnected with my extended family and my ancestry. Other than a story here and there from relatives, I didn’t really know anything about the family I never personally knew. So, I called my parents and my grandparents and gathered information about these people who were part of my family. And it’s amazing how much you can find out just by googling a name and date, as well.

I discovered a lot more about my ancestry, but in the meantime, I was connecting with my parents and grandparents in order to find out more. After talking with them, listening to many of their stories and hearing about childhoods long past, I was suddenly closer to my family history. I recognized that one day, my childhood will be a topic of “long past,” and perhaps I’ll be lucky enough to have some of my own interesting life-stories passed down through generations. But, for now, I’ll relish the time I have to speak and spend time with my family right now.

Don’t wait to connect and reconnect with family. There will come a time when you are not around them as often, but there will also come a time when they will not be around at all.