Home is where the heart is

This weekend, I ventured to Bismarck, ND.

My freshman roommate Lexi is from Bismarck, and she decided it was time for her to show us where her roots are. I’m all for a road trip, even if it was an eight hour drive and we probably spent more time in the car than out of the car.

Going home with someone else is always an interesting experience. You get a close look into where someone grew up and what their life was like. I have known Lexi for a while now, but it was a lot different seeing her house and spending time with her family. It made me long for the cozy nights at home watching tv with my parents, or goofing around with my little sister in the backyard.

Living so far away from home comes with a lot of opportunities and adventures, but also uproots you from everything you’ve known your whole life. This weekend was extremely exhausting but also a needed break from Vermillion. USD is an exciting place to go to school, but Vermillion offers hardly any options for fun things to do.

Since it’s fall, naturally we went to a pumpkin patch. Actually, it was my first trip to a pumpkin patch that I remember, so to say I was thriving is an understatement. There’s something about the cool weather, the smell of damp hay, and hundreds of bright orange pumpkins that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

One of the staples of Papa’s Pumpkin Patch we had to try was the pumpkin cookies. You’re probably imagining special homemade cookies, fresh out of the oven, but you’d be wrong. These famous pumpkin cookies are actually from the company Little Debbie, and come in packages. But they are quite frankly my absolute favorite fall treat.

Another highlight of our quick tour of Bismarck was the plethora of homemade food. As college students, we usually don’t eat so great. I may have a full kitchen at in the Babe Cave, but I hardly use it. Having someone else cook for you is one of the best things in the world, especially when you can only make about three things.

Lexi’s mom spoiled us with cinnamon rolls, cookies, breads, and way too many snacks. One of the best things we ate was her knoephla soup, which I found out last year is a traditional German dish that is very common in North Dakota and Lexi’s family tradition. Just take a minute to imagine these fluffy dumplings and fresh vegetables, surrounded by a rich and creamy broth. So. Good.

I don’t think I felt hungry most of the weekend, with the sheer volume of food I was consuming, but that didn’t stop me from taking my first trip the Kum & Go gas station and trying one of their crazy slushies. I’m a big fan of those gas station slushies, but at Kum & Go, you can have as many flavors as you want, and the size of the cups is ridiculous. Needless to say, that was a high point of the trip.

Going to someone else’s home and taking a look into their life made me miss everything about home. Although I’m glad I decided to pack up and leave, there’s something to be said about going home every now and then.

As we grow up, we start visiting our homes instead of actually going home. This is such a bizarre concept to me, because I’ve only experienced in the last year. I only go home two or three times during the entire school year, so I learned quickly to value each and every second I spend there.

I’ve already started to count down the days until I go home for Thanksgiving, but for the time being, I have a few thoughts for anyone living away from home:

1. Never forget the value of going grocery shopping with your mom. It’s a true blessing to have your mother take you to the store and buy you literally everything you need.

2. Go do the touristy things in your hometown, like visiting a pumpkin patch or driving by the lake you’ve gone to a hundred times. These things aren’t yours anymore, but don’t forget about them.

3. Eat as much as humanly possible. You may think you can cook, but is your food as good as Mom or Dad’s? (The answer is absolutely not.)

4. Take the time to thank your family. They’re taking care of you and putting their lives on hold to spend time with you. It’s what they do but it never hurts to tell your family how much you appreciate them.

5. Cherish every moment you spend at home, especially with your family. Even if that means blowing off a party with your high school pals or reconnecting with an old flame. Family is where your home is.

#home #pumpkinpatch #family #snacks