The smell of rich homemade coffee seeps in through the bedroom door as I hear the murmur of my mom’s voice ask my dad what he wants for breakfast.
I feel the sun on my face, something that would usually annoy me, but not in this case.
I walk out of the room wrapped in the small pink blanket I’ve had since I was a kid and sit next to my brother on the couch.
After fighting for the comics section of the paper for awhile, we each settle for whatever show they are showing on KCET.
These are the types of mornings I miss, the type of mornings when, if I want, I can spend all day in my PJs.
The types of mornings I can’t have at the dorms.
Don’t get me wrong, I love dorm life and being on my own, but as the semester is drawing to an end and my energy level is at its lowest, there is nothing better than knowing I will get to spend a few days at home, the place where I feel safest and at my best.
This is why winter is my favorite time of the year. No, it’s not just because this is the only time I get to wear scarves and gloves, and it’s not because I get to go shopping although these are all contributing factors.
For me winter means two things: One, I get a break from school, and, two, I spend that break at home.
It’s true I only live an hour away but this does not mean I get to go home a lot.
Sure I take a drive back home once in a while when my laundry basket gets too full, or when my mom places a phone call requesting me to be there.
There are always plenty of things to do around here, and with gas prices this high and my kind of budget, constant trips home are not really an option.
I know some of you might be thinking how is it possible for me to miss my parents giving me a curfew, and asking where I go, and at what time I’m coming back?
And I never thought I would miss this myself but, as cheesy as it might sound, I have come to realize that when my parents asked me where I’m going and stay up waiting for me, their intention isn’t to annoy, their intention is to make sure I’m safe.
Now, when I have “Monsters” for breakfast and Snickers bars for dinner, I think of all the times mom forced me to have breakfast before school and made me eat dinner before doing my homework.
I think back at those times my dad did not let me stay out late and realize that he was only looking out for me.
I remember when I used to fuss about medicine my mom made me take when I had the flu and realize that there is no one that will make me take that medicine now. I know now, that all those times my mom didn’t let me out without a jacket, she wasn’t trying to ruin my outfit, she was trying to guard me from the cold.
And when my dad wanted me to go to bed by 11, he only wanted me to get enough sleep.
Living on my own I have all the freedom in the world.
I can go anywhere and come back any time. As fun as this might sound, and as much as I enjoyed it when I first moved out of my house, there are times when even I miss knowing there is someone there waiting up for me.
Laura Bucio, a senior journalism major, is news editor of the Campus Times. She can be reached by e-mail at lbucio@ulv.edu.
