The benefits of a twenty-something living back at home

I’ve bid Gainesville a fond farewell and made my way back into the bedroom I’ve spent most of my life occupying in my parents house.  There are some obvious adjustments I’ve been getting used to.  No more innocent bottles of wine with roommates on nights when our TV shows were on.  No more loud jam sessions when I would let my music blast throughout the place.  It’s a step back in time without a doubt. But… In any situation where a big transition is being made, it’s most helpful to look at the positives.  Just today, Sunday, the first day of my life back at home, has so far led me to believe that this living arrangement isn’t going to be complete hell.  Spending 4 years living independently away from the nest has built my character and shaped my personality, but there are plenty of perks to being back here in mommy and daddy’s house in Hollywood.

1. A real kitchen in a real house. Having parents who are culinarily inclined is something that can be easily taken for granted when you’re a teenager who just wants to be fed quickly and left alone.  I’ve always enjoyed cooking fresh meals for myself and my roommates and my TV is turned to the Food Network about 90 percent of the time. But the kitchen I had in my tiny rental apartment was absolutely disgraceful.  I had only enough counter space to put one small cutting board, crappy appliances and crappy cookware.  It’s nice to be back in a big-girl kitchen with parents who enjoy cooking too.
2. A gadget-loving dad. As a college student who scrimped and saved, I could never afford to splurge on a Wii or a Playstation or the games that I wanted to go with it (Guitar Hero!).  Even if I did have the cash, my GPA couldn’t afford having the games around either.  We had a hand-me-down monstrosity of a tube TV with fuzzy picture and limited cable.  I lived with it. It’s college, it’s normal not to have nice things.  I now appreciate our living room’s 52-inch plasma and digital cable more than ever and am thankful for a father who rocks out on Guitar Hero just as much as I do (probably more) to keep up to date with the versions that come out.  Don’t let me sound like a spoiled brat.  These toys are for him, but living at home lets me take advantage too.
3. A backyard. One of the best things about moving from a tiny apartment in a cramped complex in the woodsy area of Gainesville back to my parent’s house in Hollywood is that now I can remember why I love South Florida weather so much by lounging in the backyard.  Who wouldn’t want to tote their laptop outside and make this their office: