hvert:
Yeah, based on what I've heard some other people my age say, it seems like my parents are having a bit more trouble letting go than most do. When my parents guilt trip me I usually don't say much, but I still feel awful afterwards. Don't know how I can stop feeling so bad. I know that I've done nothing wrong and they're the ones being overbearing, but I still can't help feeling bad about it.

After I made this thread I looked online and discovered that the fireworks in town are on the 3rd, while the ones at home are on the 4th. So I could, in theory, stay in town and hang out with friends on the 3rd and then go home on the 4th. That may actually be a better option because then I'd just stay the weekend. I was planning on going for my dad's birthday and staying Wednesday-Sunday, but now I may just end up going home for the weekend of the 4th and then have them come over here for lunch or dinner on his birthday. If they say anything about me changing my plans to go home for his birthday, I'll just bring up the fact that we aren't doing anything anyway.

A Red Panda:
They've pretty much always been like this, though it seems to have gotten worse recently. For my first 2 years of college I was at a school that was about 30-45 minutes away, and went home every other weekend. This past year I transferred to a school about 2 1/2 hours away and went home about once a month. I know it's been hard on them having me further away, but they don't seem to be getting used to it at all.

I wish I could make them understand that I just want to be more independent. When I tell them that they just seem to hear "I don't love you anymore". That couldn't be further from the truth, but their manipulation and attempts to guilt me honestly just push me away more than anything. In fact there are times when they don't seem to guilt me as much, and I find that I actually look forward to going home during these times. If I feel guilted into going home it just feels like a chore.