When I moved away for university, I was terrified that my relationship with my family was going to change in a negative way. I thought that our close knit family unit was going to cease to exist (or worse, carry on existing without me). Thankfully, that didn’t happen and our family is just as close as ever.

Constant phone calls help me to stay connected with my family. I speak to my Mum every single day, most days multiple times. I ring my Gran when I’m walking somewhere and just fancy a chat- my evening walks home from Church are a great time to do this. Me and my brother speak whenever one of us feels like we’re missing the other- or when there’s been a football match that we want to discuss. Talking to my family all the time helps to keep us connected and our bond strong. I’m sure there’s times when my calls have been frustrating to my mum, but she’s not said yet!

How did my relationships change?

My Gran sends me parcels every now and again. They’re full of goodies and they’re always a little pick me up. Gran always took me out for a coffee every week before I moved away and so this is her way of doing something similar whilst I’m not at home. Little things like this let me know that my family are still thinking of me even when I’m not around. I’m so thankful for this as it helps me feel a little closer to home, even when I’m miles away.

My relationship with my Mum has become stronger than ever. I tell her about every area of my life. I had a horrible night at uni and she came straight down after finishing work so that she could see me and check that I was okay. She’s been brilliant at allowing me the space to learn how to do things myself whilst still being there when I’ve needed her.

The relationship that changed the most is the one with my brother. When I moved away we became so much closer. It really is true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. My annoying little brother became one of the people that I couldn’t wait to speak to on a weekly basis. I even brought one of his tops with me to uni so that I could wear it when I missed him. Talk about cringe! Don’t get me wrong, he still winds me up no end, and we fight like cat and dog when I’m home; but I definitely feel closer to him than ever.

It turns out that my fears of being forgotten about when I moved away were exactly that- just fears! I’m now closer to my family and I’m so thankful for that!

Did your relationship with your family change when you went to uni? If so, let me know in the comments below!