For 21-year-old Brad White, coming home to visit his family and friends is a luxury.

Saturday afternoon, Brad drove home from Baton Rouge to spend the remainder of the day with his mother, Barbara, and father, James, before leaving for work Sunday morning.

“It’s so short,” Brad said. “I wish I could stay longer, but I’m so busy.”

Brad is a senior taking 15 hours of class at Southern University, majoring in computer science, and also works 30 hours a week at Target.

With his work and school schedule, Brad comes home about once a month, he said.

The last time he was home was Christmas.

We’re always glad to see him when he comes home,” James said. “But he’s so busy with his work schedule and classes, when he does come home, it’s just so short.”

James said he and Barbara do keep in touch with Brad regularly.

“We’ll go visit him on our way to New Orleans,” James said. “We’ll meet him at the mall and his mother will text message him (during the week) also.”

Another reason Brad came home, he said, was to celebrate a birthday for a friend from high school, Jesse Lyles.

“I don’t get to see him that much because he goes to school at Northwestern State in Natchitoches,” Brad said.

Though he plans to graduate next spring, Brad said he probably will not come home to work.

“I like small town living because it’s pleasing and people are nicer, but in a small town there is little for me to do as far as my career is concerned,” he said.

After he graduates, Brad said he plans on getting a job designing Web sites.

James said he and Barbara would probably go out to eat dinner with their son Saturday night before Brad leaves.

“I feel like I didn’t even come home,” Brad said.