Never too old for family time

This weekend, I got spoiled.

My parents and little sister Maggie made the trip to Vermillion and spent the whole weekend with me. This is something I looked forward to since the day they dropped me off at school again.

Last year, on that fateful day my parents dropped me off at the dorms, I didn’t know when I would see them again. I figured maybe Thanksgiving, and definitely Christmas, but what about before then? We ended up picking a weekend in October, so I made it through until the holidays.

I sure have grown up a lot since this time last year. I remember counting down the days, spending the entire week before my family came trying to focus on school instead of the immense amount of homesickness. From the moment they arrived in Vermillion, to the moment they left town, I was with them.

I was so homesick at this point (though I wouldn’t admit it), that seeing my family after so long made me extremely emotional. If you don’t know me, I am the kind of person who wears my heart on my sleeve. I probably spent as much time crying that weekend as I did laughing with my little sister.

This year, when my family came, I was beyond ecstatic to see them. But this time, I was able to actually enjoy spending time with my mom, dad, and sister, instead of dwelling on the fact that they would be leaving me by myself again on Monday morning. It’s not that I don’t miss them, or don’t need my parents anymore, but instead I can really focus on strengthening my relationship with them instead of needing them to take care of me.

While it’s gratifying living on your own and realizing you might actually be okay, it’s so nice when your family wants to spoil you once in a while. This past weekend is a perfect example.

My family arrived in Vermillion on Friday afternoon. I showed them around the Al Neuharth Media Center, where I spend all of my time. I took them through the newsroom, TV studio, and the radio booth where I do a show every Sunday afternoon. I felt proud to finally have something to show off.

That night, we ordered pizza and ate way too many snacks. Because of their long day of traveling, my entire family was asleep before 10 p.m.

As a college student, this was a foreign concept to me, but I partook in the early bedtime since it would probably never happen again.

On Saturday, we spent the day shopping in Sioux Falls. You know my parents miss me when they’re willing to spend more than 10 minutes in a mall. My mom and I are big fans of the sale and clearance sections, so we stocked up on new clothes while my dad and little sister patiently waited.

Later in the evening, my family experienced their first USD football game in the DakotaDome. From the day I took my tour of USD my senior year of high school, my dad has raved about the Dome. I loved seeing how excited he was walking in there and getting to see a game. My mom and little sister aren’t huge sports fans, but they couldn’t hide their excitement either.

After a lazy Sunday morning, I brought my dad on my radio show, Coffee Time, as my special guest. My dad has had some on-air experience, but this was the first time he’s been on the radio in several years. I’ve only been working in radio for about eight months, so it’s still fairly new to me, but I loved being able to host a guest, especially someone like my dad. We had no problem filling the entire hour discussing journalism, joking around, and playing some of our favorite music. I hope he had as much fun as I did.

After one more big meal and another trip to the grocery store, it was time to say goodbye and come back to my reality as a college kid. I hugged each member of my family tight, and surprisingly, no tears leaked out of my eyes. “Maybe I’m growing up,” I thought, until both my parents said, “I’m so proud of you,” just loud enough for only me to hear. Hearing that made my eyes sting, and a lump form in my throat.

Knowing your parents are proud of you really makes you feel like

you’re doing something right.

#family #love #football #dakotadome