A World Away -- Week 11

People look into the past and miss it, they look into the future and are excited for it, but they rarely enjoy the present....

Its been almost 3 months since we have all moved into campus and this week is officially the longest I've ever been away from home. Talking to my family this week, I realized how much I've changed and how much the last 4 years of high school seem like a prior life. I feel as if I've been reincarnated into this life and only vaguely remember what it was like to be in my earlier one. There are certain things - like talking to friends/family, doing my hobbies in freetime, looking around at pictures - that bring me back to specific times that I've had back home, but in many ways I feel estranged from the Jacob who went to Solon High School and slept in a suburban house a block south of the fire station, on the side closer to the park than the shopping center.

Is this feeling a bad thing or a good thing? Or neither?... these thoughts occurred to me this week and I'm not sure I've really been able to answer them. I think it may just be a matter of accepting that life is so much different as you get older and experience a completely new lifestyle with new surroundings.

"Does everyone feel like this?" I asked myself. I was curious to see what people thought of their lives here overall, and what could be done to make them better. I asked some classmates the following questions and have included their responses:

1. On a scale of 1-10, rate your level of homesickness since being at AU?
2. On a scale of 1-10, how much does AU feel like your home?
3. What things make AU feel like your home?
4. What things at AU are vastly different from home?
5. What (if anything) could others do to make you feel more at home?
6. Other Comments?

Valerie

1. 6
2. 6
3. The people here are friendly, my bed is cozy, the food here is like home.
4. The communal bathrooms (-), no pets (-), no parental supervision (+/-)
5. I don't know.
6. AU is an interesting place.

Emmet

1. 1
2. 6
3. Community dorm living
4. No one to monitor or be in charge of you (+)
5. Nothing, I'm good.
6. "Nats suck... bryce harper is the GOAT"

Asim

1. 1 million
2. 2
3. My friends
4. Food
5. Nothing
6. I like turtles

Annie

1. 2
2. 7
3. The people, my room, Letts 6 as a floor and daily runs
4. Lack of nature, lack of ease of exposure to the outside world. Showering w/shoes on, no baths, no separation between school and home and no parents
5. Make me hot chocolate... I love it because it makes my heart so happy
6. Jacob you're a scammer

Xandra

1. 2
2. 8
3. Independence, running, connections with people
4. A lot of extra, less structured time. 
5. Stop in more unannounced
6. This is a wonderful post idea (yes, this post was inspired by Xandra) 

Holt

1. 6
2. 7
3. People, independence 
4. level of independence, weather,
5. nothing
6. This is a great idea I agree with Xandra

Disclaimer: In retrospect, these questions may not have encouraged enough freedom of expression and by default had very repetitive answers. Next time, I will change up the questions in order to present a better interview.