I’ve been at Mercy now for over three years, and for the past two, I’ve been on campus pretty much year around. I would have the occasional trip home, but not like most college students have it. And it may be my choice to stay on campus year around, but it’s nice to have that trip home.

Home isn’t far from Mercy, but because I am constantly working I just don’t have time to go home all the time. When I do get a weekend off, and I go home, I get so excited! It’s the second weekend of the year and people ask me, “Going home already?” Yeah I am. I live on campus all year, and for me it’s not the second weekend, it’s more like millionth weekend.

The drive home sucks to be honest. That’s probably the worst part. I get anxious because I just want to be home, and an hour is all I need to get home, but at times I wish it was closer. Freshman year I went home every weekend and I can tell you, that hour drive got really boring, really fast. Now with fall right around the corner, I love going home even more and the drive doesn’t seem to bother me.

The Merritt Parkway is one of the best highways, in my opinion, to drive on in the fall through Connecticut. It’s known for its scenic route through Fairfield County. At one point the parkway passes through a small forest and during the fall it is absolutely beautiful, and mid-late September to mid-late October are the best times to drive through.

After the Merritt Parkway, my house is amazing for beautiful sights. I live in the middle of the woods, on a hill, with trees behind my house and a reservoir in the front. We have beautiful fall mornings. The farther north you go, the better the views get.

Behind my house there are some trails that you could walk, or even take a ride on with the quads and side by sides, and on a nice fall afternoon there is something about doing that that makes the weekend home a lot more enjoyable.

After working all the time, there is something about going home and relaxing. There is something about getting away from New York that makes me happy. When I first moved to New York, my friends were amazed to see deer or other wild animals, and I always thought it was normal forgetting that most of my friends were from the city. The trees were another story as well, especially in the fall. Seeing nature change around me is amazing. The parties on the weekends, the rides through the woods, crop picking (because I live on a farm) and warm home cooked meals.

If you can take that trip home, wherever home is, take a weekend and go home. Your parents will take care of you. If you are the type of person to not go home every weekend they are going to love seeing you come home. And if you can’t go home, take a trip up the Merritt Parkway between mid-late September mid-late October. I recommend it highly. Fall is one of the best seasons to drive through Connecticut.

“Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave and grow old wanting to get back to.” – John Ed Pearce