I have written before about my time college; how my experience was certainly not traditional, but how it was oh so very meaningful.

Am I happy that I chose to go to Barcelona at the age of 19? Of course. Had I not taken the untraditional college path, I would not have met my twin. I was engaged by my Senior year of college and living with my fiance instead of in a sorority house. Again, do I regret it? No. Am I wistful about what could have been? To be honest, yes. When I was 22 I was not doing keg stands, but, instead, learning how to circle my husband 3 times as we stood under a chuppah.

I try not to live in the past or to think of what could have been as opposed to all that I have and have had, so I had filed “true college experience” away into the category in my brain that says “Close, but no cigar. Just not going to happen for you.”

And then, just a couple of weeks ago, I got the chance to experience the closest thing I will probably ever get to a real college experience. You just have to add children, a mortgage, car payments and jobs, but let me tell you, this was everything.

Through a series of unexpected events, my dear friend ended up coming over on a Sunday afternoon and staying through the week. And this, this magical gift, was how I was able to experience what it is like to be in college.

And though I was only able to experience this collegiate-like closeness (not emotional closeness, but actual, never-apart-always-in-my-proximity-closeness) for a short time, I now see how awesome it truly is.

And so, I have come up with the top five things about being in college, from the perspective of a 30 year old woman:

1. You have another grown up girl living with you.  She can help you pick out outfits, do your makeup, straighten your hair and tell you to take off the earrings, as they are a bit too much. It is fun to be able to get ready with someone else who is older than 5 and not a boy.

You are able to talk about face masques, rompers and, over and over again, high heels.

Bonus: If your roommate is particularly fastidious, she may organize things in your house including, but not limited to, your children’s drawers, your linen closet, your entire makeup collection, all of your toiletries and a bureau of jewelry.

2. Piggybacking off of #1, you have someone else’s clothing to borrow. It’s like doubling your wardrobe overnight. So let’s just say, hypothetically, that you have band practice to go to, and you’re rushing to the door, and you realize that it’s a bit cold outside. You can just grab the killer, faded jean jacket that’s on the bannister. And you do the fist pump “Yes!” arm motion, because this is now so much cuter than having to grab your husband’s Urban Outfitters hoodie.

3. Someone crawls into your bed to wake you up at 6am who is not your child. You get to hear the words, “Hi, Pumpkin.” and have a warm body snuggle up to you, but you don’t have to worry about feeding or entertaining this person immediately. You get to stay in bed. This is actually encouraged. And as a bonus, you get to spend a lot of your time in bed, talking and hanging out, and it feels “normal” as opposed to “lazy”.

4. THE FOOD. There is a constant supply of new snacks and meals being brought to you. Soft pretzels and burgers and anything that comes from Wawa (because, again, let’s be hypothetical here, perhaps you don’t enjoy going into Wawa yourself, as you don’t like the smell). Every occasion is snack-worthy. You get to sit on the couch at night, sometimes watching the latest episode of the Real Housewives, your feet tucked under her legs as you cuddle up

(bbq chips)

and other times you listen to Van Morrison records and sing along in the dim light of the sunroom at night

(oreos dipped in peanut butter).

Then, because you’re in your thirties and have real life to deal with, there are other times that you, perhaps, hypothetically, come home from a tough evening therapy session and order cheesesteaks and mozzarella sticks at 10pm.

If that’s not being in college, man, then what is?

5. Communal Showering. In college, this was definitely not a perk. The bathrooms were skeevy, you had to wear flip flops, and I heard rumors that people peed in those showers.

But now you have a nice, clean bathroom in which to shower, so while you’re lathering your hair, your girlfriend can keep you company, talking about things that distract you or help you or make you laugh, when otherwise the shower can be a dreaded experience because you have too much time to think and ruminate. She can hand you your face wash and give you your towel so you don’t have to let the steam out.

I bet you didn’t see that one coming!

***

I can think of countless reasons why my perception of an adult college experience is awesome, but I think it boils down to one thing:

When actually in college, you were stuck on campus, in a room that you likely did not choose, and had certain (albeit very lenient) rules and regulations.

When you’re a grown up with a temporary roommate, this is by choice. This person becomes a part of the family, so when she is not there it seems weird, like something is off. Like there is a void.

When you’re a grown up you don’t get grades. You have much harder things to deal with, but when you’re doing so with friends, they seem so much less insurmountable.

When you’re a grown up, and your friend wakes you up in bed, your sweet kids can join you a half hour later and you get to cuddle them. If that had happened when I was in college, and kids just showed up in my bedroom, that would have been weird.

And it all goes back to the closeness thing. I think that the proximity-type-closeness of college is the thing that I feel as though I missed. However, in my life, I am blessed to have friends who are more than friends. And as nice as it is to have a friend by my side literally, it is also pretty darn special to have real, grown-up friends, with whom I’ve experienced some real grown-up ups and downs, who are right there when I need them, even if that means via text at midnight, because I am on their “favorites” list and my number comes through even when their phones are set on “Do Not Disturb”.

That is to say, they are never far.

My conclusion is simple. It is fun to be in college. I bet if I were to be sent back to school for a week I would savor some of the freedom and the simplicity of life.

But I would miss so much. I would miss my family (and not my parents, this time, but my own family, the one that I have created). I would miss tiny hands to hold and faces to kiss. I would miss being a grown up.

And, of course, I would miss the high heels. Because in college, you don’t get the really fancy high heels.

But, you do still get the mozzarella sticks.