If you told me 10 years ago that I would still be living with my parents at 22, I probably would have gone berserk. Today, I am so grateful that I do.

When I tell someone that I live at home their response is usually, “why?" or “that sucks"! Most people move out of their parents home when they attend college. That’s the norm, right? Well, I thought so and that’s exactly what I did. I graduated high school and moved out of my parents house into a dorm with three complete strangers. For 18 years, I had my own room and loved it. The idea of sharing a room with one person was already hard enough to get behind, but sharing a room with three people made me queasy. I mean come on, am I really expected to live in one room with three other girls I’ve never met, and share a closet?! No thank you! Being on my own for the first time was a big enough adjustment as it is.

You can probably gather that the whole living situation didn’t go that great – a story for another time. I ended up transferring after my first semester and moving back in with my parents. My first thought was “oh great, what is everyone else going to think when I tell them I’m back with my parents?" From what I gathered, no one cared, except me.

Moving back in with my parents was definitely an adjustment at first, for both myself and my parents. I just went a whole semester with no curfew, no one to respond to, no rules! It was great while it lasted, but now I’m on my parents turf. The first few weeks were a bit difficult, as you can imagine, but today, I absolutely love living at home. The relationship I have with my parents is one that I could not have achieved if I were away at college and not living at home. I love going on shopping dates with my mom and cooking dinner together. I love going to Bass Pro Shops with my dad and listening to his hilarious stories. I love watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy with them every night. I love our Bachelor Monday’s and our This is Us Tuesday’s. I love being able to spend quality time together. I have learned so much from my parents about all aspects of life and have grown into the person I’ve always wanted to be. I’ve also acquired an incredible sense of humor – shout out dad!

It took me a few months to realize that commuting to college is nothing to be ashamed of. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. I still go out, I still do my own laundry, cook my own food, and do what any “normal" college student does. I just do it at the comfort of my home and at a fraction of the cost, and with a dog.

I’m so lucky to have parents that support me in everything I do and living at home for the past 22 years has made me who I am. I will never regret my decision to do so. I know that I’ll be moving out and on my own in the near future, but for now I’ll enjoy my home cooked meals, my dog, my amazing parents, and wait for it… my own room!

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