It was the little things that Dipper missed about Gravity Falls when summer ended.
He missed the big things too, of course: Getting to see all the people he'd gotten to know and love there everyday, sharing a room with Mabel, going on adventures practically everyday. But it was the little things that would really make his heart ache with longing once in a while.
He missed having the first and last thing he saw everyday being the slanted, splintery wood above him. He missed wiping the sticky remains of a slightly freezer-burned Popsicle off his lips as the sun beat down on him from above. He missed spending lazy afternoons reading with his legs draped over the arm of Grunkle Stan's favorite chair. He missed being surrounded by the sounds of nature as soon as he stepped out of the back door. He missed being flooded by the feeling of complete, satisfying exhaustion as soon as his head hit the pillow at the end of the day. He missed riding in the car with Mabel, Wendy, and her friends as they all tried to sing as off-key and loudly as possible. He missed sitting at the kitchen table learning card tricks from Grunkle Stan. He missed learning useless but still incredibly interesting fun facts from Great Uncle Ford. He missed hopping over the creaky fifth step every time he went up or down the staircase. He missed sitting on the roof and looking at the stars with Mabel, without a care in the world. Mostly, he missed the sense of belonging that these little things brought to him.
It was okay, though. Because as the school year drew closer and closer to its end, it was the little things about Gravity Falls that made Dipper excited.