My new "home" in Cookeville is now my usual residence. But does it feel like home? That's a hard question. Sure, I really do like living there. New Hall North is nice. It's the perfect size for all my comfort needs. But my home is not room 344, New Hall North Cookeville, TN. My home is still in the ole Manchester.
This morning I woke up in Cookeville and got ready to go back to Manchester. As I stepped out the doors of the building and headed towards my car, I stopped dead in my tracks. The sheer beauty of the campus today was breathtaking (it was an Instagram opp I couldn't resist). Everything from the way the sun was shining on the bell tower of Derryberry as it peeked through the trees to the wonderfully comfortable temperature that made me want to just stroll down Dixie was a much needed reminder of how lucky I truly am to live in Tennessee and go to Tech. So many people never get the opportunity to go to college and have the full experience like I am getting. It's definitely a motivator. Referring back to my last post, this is one of the instances when my over-thinking mind is useful. Sometimes I use time alone to reflect spiritually on myself. I think everyone can use a good reflection every now and then by pin pointing all of the good things in life.
The drive home was equally as beautiful, and belting the Wicked soundtrack made the time fly by. When I got home I could barely talk due to attempting Elphaba notes (probably also due to the fact that I sang all day yesterday at Festival of Voices.)
Anyway, I arrived home after a longer-than-usual leisure drive to find my dad waiting for me on the porch. My sister leaped out of her chair to hug me. I felt so welcomed. I never get that reaction when I go back to Cookeville (not that I would want a hug from everyone I see in Cookeville, just clearing that up .)
My family is crazy. Certifiably crazy. But when you live with people your whole life and then suddenly don't, a world of epiphanies are bound to occur. Some things, small habits and mannerisms, that I'd become used to in my eighteen years with these people I started to realize were super annoying. There are things now I can't stand that a month ago were routine. On the other side of the spectrum, things that used to annoy me I know miss about my family. It's the small things, folks. My mother has tucked me into bed nearly every night of my life. I miss that. I miss my dad's nerdy humor and the way he thinks he's cool. I miss my sister more than anything, even though moody teenager mode has taken over. They may be annoying to the point where sometimes I question my genealogy, but I really miss them sometimes. It's the small things. Singing with my sister. Cheesy jokes. Being treated like a child. Homemade meals. HUGS. These are the things that make my dysfunctional house a home.
God Bless,
Nick Mullins!
Just wait. As soon as you get back from summer break your sophomore year, you'll be overwhelmed by people hugging you. True story. By the time you'll graduate, you'll have two places that feel equally like home, even though you'll only have been in one of them for a few years. It's a weird phenomeon, but an amazing one. College is a unique and beautiful thing.
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