Mental health also looks different for everyone. Sometimes, your struggle could come off as being dismissive or moody to outsiders who aren’t aware of your situation. Being as open as you’re comfortable will only allow your relationships, romantic and not, to prosper.

I’m worried that something similar might happen when I return from college. Instead of feeling comfortable and relieved, I’ll feel unfamiliar and awkward, like I’m staying at a friend’s house for a week before I return to Boston. I’ve often heard sayings such as “home is where the heart is,” but how am I supposed to call this new place “home” without the proper time to love it?