I'm 21 years old, about to be a senior in college. This summer I'm staying in the town my college is in (2 1/2 hours away from home) to get research assistant experience. I can tell it's been hard on my parents not having me there. I was at home for 3 weeks right at the start of the summer, and then one week at the start of June. I have not been home since but have Skype'd them every Saturday I've been away, and had them come over for dinner on Father's Day (Which was my suggestion).

They were wanting me to come home for the 4th of July, but the truth is...I don't WANT to go home for that. Going home would just be the two of them and myself, which can be quite boring. I have friends who are also in town over the summer and am planning on getting together with some of them for the holiday. The thing is, my parents made me feel so bad that I had to lie and say I needed to be in the lab on the 4th, and that's why I couldn't go home. I just couldn't tell them that I would rather spend the holiday with friends here in town.

The thing is, my dad's birthday is on the 17th. I was planning on going home for that (I was thinking of being home Wednesday-Sunday but didn't mention that when I said I was planning on going home for his birthday). When I said that my dad just shrugged and said they weren't doing anything for his birthday. I really don't understand what they want from me. Through all this, my mom sometimes talks about how I'm not "making an effort". I'm trying to live my own life, and it's not like I ignore them completely (in fact I'd say I do better than many other college students). Isn't it normal for people my age to want to start breaking away from their parents?