For about 10 years of my life I spent my summers at Camp Swig, a Jewish summer camp tucked away in the redwoods of Northern California.
Every year there was this awkward transition period when I got home. On the one hand, I was happy to be home, to have my own bed and some good home-cooked meals. On the other hand, for two or three weeks I'd been under the questionable supervision of college kids, free to swear, burp at dinner and tell dirty jokes at all hours of the night.
Whenever my short stay in this prepubescent paradise came to an end, I'd struggle to readjust to life with my parents.
With that in mind, I'm a little apprehensive about Family Weekend.
Everyone knows college is like one big sleep-away camp. For nine months out of the year we're allowed to stay up as late as we want, eat and drink what we choose and generally neglect our health and hygiene. For the short time our parents are here, all that will be gone and I can't shake the feeling that this perfectly parentless world is under attack.
I usually like to spend my Fridays waking up around noon and then, after a couple of hours of TV or PS2, it's time to start drinking. Thanks to Family Weekend, I'll probably be spending this Friday at some museum. Ignoring Philadelphia's arts and culture scene for the past few years hasn't been easy, but so far I've managed. Now in just a few short days my parents will undo all that willful sloth.
Then again, it's probably a good time for me to finally clean my room, clear out all the beer cans from the kitchen sink and go to my classes. And maybe a little culture isn't the worst thing in the world. Having my parents in town may feel like I'm losing my freedom, but it's also a much-needed reminder that some of those rules I left behind in California were in place for a reason.
Family Weekend isn't just a time to reconnect with my family, it's a time to reconnect with the civilized world.
Besides, you can't beat free meals at swanky joints like Buddakan and Striped Bass, without that guilt you get when you bursar your Houston Hall sushi.
