In August 2015 I moved away from home in Los Angeles to attend my first year of college at California State University East Bay. I finished my first year, and am finally home for summer break before I return for my second year.

It was a surreal feeling for me when I first got to college. I was not sad I was going away from home as I felt prepared and eager to take on new endeavors that would ultimately help me achieve my goals in the future, but I realized I was really on my own. I was finally able to manage and do things my way instead of having my parents telling me what to do.

I never had the fear of getting homesick. I love my family and friends and I have always been very close to them, but I understood that this was a special opportunity in life. In order to achieve my goals of being a sports broadcaster, I had to put those feelings aside. Plus, Los Angeles is only five hours away from Hayward so I assumed it would not be that bad.

And now that I have completed my first year, I realized it really was not bad at all; I made so many memories and friends, and have grown so much as an individual just in my first year.

Living on my own in college has taught me a lot about myself and others, especially those whom I have lived with. I realized not all people were raised like me. They do not do any of the basic things I was taught, like picking up after themselves or keeping things clean, but because I live with them, I was forced to deal with it.

That was probably the hardest part of being away from home: being essentially stuck with the way other people live and not being able to do anything about it. It really got to me and made me angry at times. I really had to reflect and understand that each individual comes from different backgrounds and I could either complain or teach those individuals what I was taught to do, such as always picking up after myself, so I could be happy as well.

Toward the end of the year I was fed up with being at school and craved going home. I was unhappy with the people I was living with. The only thing I enjoyed was being in charge of my own life and doing whatever I wanted.

Once the school year was over and it was time for me to come home for the summer, I was ecstatic. I missed my family and friends, and the simple feeling of being home. It was amazing seeing everyone and being back in Los Angeles, because there is nothing like it. There is nothing like home.

As time went on, I realized I enjoyed being home, but there were also certain things I did not enjoy. I came home to demands and my parents constantly telling me what to do, like curfews, running errands and more. When I was away at college, they never questioned me or told me what to do at all. It is difficult; I love being home, yet I feel like I am a child when I am here.

I have grown accustomed to living on my own, doing what I want and following my own rules. Being home can be difficult and sometimes you want to leave. I am faced with the fact that I am now in my parent’s household, and as long as I am under their roof, I must oblige their rules and questioning.

It is hard for me to understand why they are so concerned now and why they did not care while I was in college. It sometimes makes me not want to be here.

Not that I want to necessarily go back to college, but the feeling of being independent and living the way I want was a good feeling. I love home and there is no place like it, but I also love being free without the constant hovering of my parents.

With all that said, I can honestly say that I am not ready to go back to college in the fall; I want time to move slow. I can endure my parents’ rules if it means I can be in the place I love with the people I cherish most: in Los Angeles surrounded by my family and friends. With them, I will enjoy the few months of summer that I have.