For many college students, it’s that time of year again. The books are sold, the dorms packed up, and the final papers passed in. In a matter of days, everyone will be finishing up with the semester and heading home for the summer. Well, except for those high-achieving students who have managed to secure those elusive internships around the country.
For these rest of us (myself included), there’s no need to despair. Coming home means one thing: a fully-stocked fridge. So, prepare yourselves, ladies and gentlemen, for the five stages of returning to some good old home cooking.
1. Denial
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This food just cannot be real. There is no way I have access to the entire fridge, the whole pantry, and even the freezer. How can this all be mine? I might be dreaming – this just does not compare to my mini fridge of seltzer and Easy Mac. Most people initially feel denial upon entering the kingdom – er, I mean, kitchen, of the house.
2. Anger
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Past meals (if they even can be called that) flash through your mind as you look at your mom’s wide assortment of Trader Joe’s health food. Why did you let yourself call a bag of chips “lunch”? Looking into your home fridge, eating healthy seems so simple. It’s no wonder you feel a bit annoyed at your past self for all those late night munchies.
3. Bargaining
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I’m going to make up for all those unhealthy college habits this summer. Gym membership? Check. New trendy water bottle? Got it. Fridge full of health? Done. It’s no big deal that I indulged in a fudge brownie ice cream sundae (or twelve) at Kimball this semester. Now, I can make my own smoothies, grab a piece of fruit, and even get water straight from the tap.
4. Depression
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I kind of miss college junk food, just a tiny little bit. All this home cooked food is fabulous, but there’s nothing like ordering a big, greasy pizza pie to share with your friends late at night. I can’t believe I’m admitting this, too, but – I even miss late night runs to the Lobby Shop for chocolate after hours of studying in Dinand. How long until I go back to school again?
5. Acceptance
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School snacking is always memorable, but this is amazing. The health kick might not last forever, but this home food thing is something special. Enjoy every moment – summers home from college don’t last forever. Eventually, you may even need to buy your own fridge.
If you love your fridge this much, you’ll probably like these snack ideas, too: