What The Kids Are Up To:

Over the weekend, plenty of teenagers returned from college. So watch out San Francisco bars, a rush of 19 and 20 year olds with improper identification is heading your way! And what goes hand in hand with returning from dorm life? Moving back in with your parents. Every college student’s dream! But beyond interactions with former empty nesters who are delighted to see their proverbial cows come home, it has been interesting to see how the college life has changed (or hasn’t changed) my high school buddies.

For the most part, hometown syndrome seems to be in effect for most returning college freshmen (I say freshmen, because these are the people I’ve been interacting with in the last week. I’m sure it changes as students get older, but for now the only personal experience I have is with rising sophomores). For the first few days of being home, they are their college selves; they’re independent, rebellious, and want to continue living the dorm life they have adored for the past nine months. However, parental authority slowly creeps back into the picture (don’t worry parents, you haven’t been neglected completely), and kids go back to their old ways. A self-cooked serving of mushy eggs is replaced by Mama’s homemade waffles. Cafeteria credit turns into lunch money, and before we know it, our parents once again become the hand that feeds us, literally and metaphorically.

Without going into specifics (out of respect for anonymity), it’s been great to see my high school buddies return from college with new passions, talents and interests. At the same time though, it’s nice to know the innocent middle schoolers and high schoolers I grew up with haven’t completely disappeared. For better or worse (hint: it’s for better), as we bright-eyed younglings move out into the real world, part of San Francisco and our childhoods will always be there to fall back on. And (while trying my hardest to honor the cliché-free nature of this blog) I think there’s an important life lesson in that.