10) Freshly cracked black pepper.

Pre ground black pepper isn’t as satisfying, it has less of a “kick” and you have to add a lot more. Plus, there’s nothing like the cathartic crackling sounds of grinding pepper. 

9) Plush carpeted floors.

The feeling of your feet sinking into soft carpet is irreplaceable. The floors at school are either tile, hardwood floor, or industrial carpet. Regardless of how often you sweep, the floors are always dusty and a little bit rough on your feet, comforting sock-less days are dearly missed.

8) Mail Delivery.

To get my mail I have to go to the bottom floor of a common building, it’s a pain, a lot of stairs, and out of the way. I cant just open the mailbox to check if anything has come and then head up the driveway to my warm house.

7) Non-florescent lighting.

Every room has a sterile feel with the harsh artificial feeling of florescent lighting. My eyes tire faster with the limited spectrum lighting.

6) Playing music outloud.

Roommates are omnipresent, headphones get annoying and are easy to break and lose. I just want to have a jam session and dance recklessly, is that too much to ask?

5) Comfortable couches.

There’s nothing like the unsettling feeling of knowing that someone at one point has had sex on the couch you’re sitting on. Beyond that, mystery stains galore. Truly curling up with a blanket, coffee and digging into schoolwork or a book is a sparse luxury.

4) The accessibility of family.

My parents and sisters were always just there to nag and annoy me and other family just 3 minute car ride away. Having to limbo through everyone’s chaotic schedules to just call and say hi is frustrating and isolating. Not having consistent daily interactions is more so.

3) Cable.

I just want to marathon MSNBC on election night without being disturbed, is that too much to ask? (Yes) Sketchy video streaming on my computer just isn’t the same. Plus, theres a devastating lack of a DVR in my life.

2) Permanence.

I know that my house will be there when I finish school and I know that I’ll have a place to say, given that my mother doesn’t turn my room completely into something else (just keep my bed please). I have a dorm room, but that’s only mine for this year. Everything I put on the walls will be gone in a short time, same with all my belongings. The lingering expiration is unsettling and slowly comes closer. I know I’ll always have my bed at home, but it’s odd to think that a stranger will have my room next year.

1) Old friends.

Some stay, some go, it all ebbs and flows. I left my hometown knowing that most of the people i hold near and dear to my heart would end up drifting apart. Coming home for christmas made me painfully aware of that, with waning topics of conversation and the overwhelming feeling that we all have become drastically, or slightly different people with less in common. A harsh realization that my old friends and I were becoming farther apart, both emotionally and geographically.

– KJC