3 Pros and Cons of being home for the summer.

     Had I gone back to Charlotte for the summer (like I had originally planned to do), I would have left this Sunday morning to go back to school, and summer classes and my internship would have started back up again on Tuesday. I am so happy that I made the decision to come home to Maine for the whole summer! I will be happy to return to Charlotte in mid-August to start my junior year, but I'm in no rush to do that, and I'm ready to enjoy another summer in my hometown.

Summer 2011

     I thought it might be fun to compile a little list of my favorite things about living in Maine in the summers! These are some of the main(e) (no pun intended ;-)) reasons that lead me to come home for the whole summer instead of for just a few weeks in May.

1. Being close to the ocean. I'm from a coastal town, and I've lived in the same town for my whole life, until I left to go to college in North Carolina two years ago! Like Maine, North Carolina is also a coastal state, but I don't go to school anywhere near the beaches. Charlotte is about 3-4 hours from the nearest beach... and I've only been once in my two years of college! My house on the other hand is five minutes from four different beaches. Last summer I didn't get to the beach nearly enough, but I plan to change that this year! Living close to the beach is such a blessing. 
2. Having a second Spring. Spring is by far my favorite season, and nothing makes me happier then watching the leaves form and the flowers begin to blossom. I got to watch all of that happen in the Carolinas in March and April, and I just got to watch all of that happen again here at home! When I arrived home during the first week in May, it literally still looked like winter outside (except thankfully there wasn't any snow!). But in just a few weeks everything has started growing and blooming- it's truly magical! I love watching my favorite season happen all over again!
3. The experience of living at home. Going to school so far from home truly has been amazing, and it has brought me so much personal growth and new experiences, but that doesn't mean that I don't miss home from time to time! Living in a dorm setting can get old, and since home is a plane ride (or 16+ hour drive) away I don't get to go home for every break. This has made me truly appreciate what it's like when I am home! Things like being able to take bubble baths instead of using the dorm showers, not relying on cafeteria hours for breakfast, lunch and dinner, not having to share the washing machines with a whole building full of people... I could go on! I'm also enjoying spending more time with my parents again after so many months apart! And of course it's great to be living closer to my friends from high school as well!

     But as much as I've been enjoying being home and am happy that I'll be here for a few more months, there are still some things that I miss about Charlotte and North Carolina! Here are a few of my cons about life in New England vs. NC:

Charlotte Skyline, February 2014

1. The lack of delicious fast food. I suppose that health-wise this would be a pro. ;-) But one of the things that I love most about the South is that there is an abudance of fast-food everywhere. I certainly don't eat it all the time, but it comes in handy when you want it or need it! My summer cravings for Chick-Fil-A, Bojangles and Cook-Out have already set in, and unfortunately I won't be able to do anything about them. Maine just doesn't really have much going on as far as chain restaurants go... minus Dunkin' Donuts. Every town in Maine, no matter how small, has it least one Dunks! 
2. The toll-free highways. I haven't been on every highway in the state of NC yet, so I guess I can't speak for the Eastern part of the state, but I can say that all of the highways in the Charlotte area, the Western part of the state, and the Triad region are all toll-free. This was huge for a girl that's from a state where it costs a dollar (or more!) everytime you want to get on the highway, even if it's just to go up one exit! My parents both have EZ passes in their cars, but since I'm only home now for a few months out of the year they don't want to get me one, so I have to avoid the highway or start emptying my wallet. 
3. Missing college friends. It is great to be reunited with family and friends back here in Maine, but I'm already missing my sweet college friends! I guess that's the downside to going to school far from home- you're always missing someone! I am thankful that I have met some truly wonderful people at both my former college and the school that I go to now in Charlotte. I can't wait to see everyone again in the fall, and to hopefully meet new friends as well! And to get to meet up again with my Southern blogging friends as well! :-)

     Have any of you moved home before and dealt with the pros and cons of missing and not missing school? It's an interesting thing to deal with! 

     Right now though my main focus is on having an amazing summer! I somehow managed to get Memorial Day weekend off from work, so I'm planning to enjoy it by finally finishing my unpacking, playing tennis, and hopefully heading to the beach on Monday, which if the weather stays nice will be one of the first days of swimsuit weather this season! 

     xoxo Miss ALK