Teen Talk

When two of my closest friends moved away after my sophomore year of high school, I was devastated. My mother insisted that something good might come of it; it might make it easier to separate from friends when I went off to college.
But here I am, six weeks away from leaving for college on the east coast, and I’m once again dreading saying goodbye to friends. I realize that we can video chat and Skype and that our friendships are not ending, but merely changing. But using technology to communicate will be poor substitutes for the aimless drives along San Vicente that inevitably end up in heart-to-hearts, culminating in laughter and a boba. I know I will make friends in college, but it will be a long time before we speak in short-hand and complete each other’s sentences.
While I’m sure I’ll get used to having a roommate (and who knows, she might be terrific), I will miss time alone, my privacy, and the ability to play music when I want to or turn on a light without considering if it might disturb another person.
While the cafeteria at the college I am going to may be better than most, I don’t expect anyone to ask me what I want for dinner. Unlike my parents, who catered to my food aversions, the cafeteria staff will be unaware and unconcerned with my distaste for tomatoes and peas. Discreetly, I will actually have to pick these abominations out of the dishes I am served.
Everyone raves about the wonders of having season changes back east. I will miss wearing sandals all year round and will resent having to wear layers of clothing. I liked defying my mother, who, because she is usually cold, always suggests I wear a sweater.
But, of course, what I will miss the most are the people in my daily life. There’s a family for whom I have been baby-sitting for the last four years. Seeing the two adorable boys grow up has been a constant joy, and I cherish the strong relationships I have forged with their wonderful parents. My lifetime next-door neighbor is the warmest woman imaginable. Sometimes I’ll hear her infectious laugh emanate from her back porch, and it just fills me with delight.
I’ll even miss my own family.
Everyone insists that, after a few short weeks, I will be accustomed to college life and will be far too busy to miss my life back home. I will make new friends, discover new interests, and add snow boots and winter coats to my wardrobe. I will eventually acclimate to the freezing cold and get used to having family and friends in different time zones. However, as hard as I may try, I doubt that I will ever conquer my aversion to tomatoes and peas.