A Home Away From Home

My first week is over at Brown University. I have been away from home for twelve days. I do not know if any other people in the ILC are homesick, but I am not. The longest I have been away from my family is a week when I went to Washington D.C. in eighth grade. I feel that since I have been given the opportunity to go to the east coast for twenty-eight days I am somewhat prepared for college. Sure, I miss my family and friends, but I have family and friends out here too. Brown is my home away from home.

Ms. Larson came to campus today to check up on us today! It is always great to see a familiar face. We gave her a tour of the entire campus including my dorm room, V-Dub, Science Library, and the bamboo garden on Thayer Street. It was nice to have Cohort #1 together again. Of course we make new friends while we’re here, but we also keep our old ones close.

College weekends are much different than those back home. Students here sit on the grass and talk, play Frisbee, walk tightrope, juggle, and do homework instead of staying inside on FaceBook. I feel that the student body here actually does something rather than waiting for something to happen. When we are outside with people, that is when we relate more and bond. I am really enjoying the face to face socialization here. Also, Thayer Street is always there to provide endless possibilities for shopping and dining. I have never had so many options only minutes away from my living space.

I enjoy the diversity of the people at Brown. I get along very well with my floor mates, which is really important when it comes to quad pride and unity. The community at Pinole Valley High is similar to Brown in this way. As a band kid, I am very close to all eighty-six members. We get along and learn how to live with each other. We find similarities and make respectful disagreements. This is how we live together.

A bunch of the people here went on a field trip to Boston today. Cohort #1 chose to stick around campus and enjoy the smaller crowd. The rain finally stopped! Welcome back, sunshine.