I am back and at it again. For the last month I've been living back at home in Kansas. I never realized how much I would miss home until I saw my parents and brother drive away from the steps of my dorm room in Chelsea. As I watched the car turn right on 8th Avenue and then turned the walk back up to my apartment style room.. I freaked. It was a weird feeling--having everything that you had known so well, like the back of your hand, disappear. And a whole new world at your fingertips ready to start and explore. I remember almost panicing. Because I was alone. If I got sick... I was on my own. If I needed food... I had to be responsible to go and buy it. If I needed money... I had to find means of making it and saving it. It was new, but I knew I could handle it.
For the first week of school I felt sick. I was excited for orientation but I kept realizing little things that I would miss about home. I remembered that my house always carried a familiar and comforting smell as the seasons changed--most prominently over Halloween. Oh and how on Halloween Day, lady bugs would gather and almost swarm my front door (making it extremely difficult to put up that stringy fake spider webbing material). How my family would always trek four hours to Springfield, MO to spend Thanksgiving with my Aunt, Uncle, and Cousins. This was my first birthday away from home.
As of about a month ago, I realized that this new life I have started is just as special as my last and has some of the same little things I admired in KS. I love the smell of my glue I use in my footwear and handbag classes: a common smell found in the accessories design department. Sounds funny.. But let me tell you, from day one of opening that can my classmates can all vouch that they love the smell too. Let's see... On Halloween the whole city comes alive. And instead of swarms of ladybugs there are swarms of gouls, ghosts, witches, and sexy disney characters! Over Thanksgiving I got to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade live on the streets and trek to Long Island to see cousins from my other side of the family! And even though this was my first birthday away from home, I never felt like I was away from family. Because my roommates-- who I had now only known for a month-- had already filled the place and filled it well. They are two of the most amazing girls and I wouldn't have been able to make it in this city without them laughing and having the same experience by my side. I am so lucky to have found them.
As I came home for my Christmas break I was excited and ready. I was ready to see my Dad, Mom, and brother. I was excited to see my best friends who were waiting outside the airport security with homemade signs. I was looking forward to seeing my dog and cat. I was just ready for relaxing and feeling home. And let me tell you it was all that had hoped it would be!! After a while, I noticed that even though I felt very home in KS, part of me missed my other home and family I had made in this last semester. I realized that this new life that I had started is meant to be. If I could go back and tell my 'moving-in self' that I was more ready for this than I knew, it would have made life much MUCH easier. It feels good to know that I almost have two families, halfway across the country from each other, supporting and kind and everything I could ever hope for.
Now I write this from my roommate, Paulina's, guest bedroom in her house. I'm staying here with her wonderful family until we move in on Sunday and are reunited with our other third, Rachel E. Im looking forward to seeing what there is in store for us in the upcoming semester. What crazy and adventurous things will we do? The three amigos: Rachel E, Rachel M, and Paulina are about to take on the city agin. Look out New York, we're coming for you..
Rachel
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