2. Major Essay of Your Choice
I wake up to the sound of tiny footsteps. As each second passes, I can hear them get closer and closer. Tup! I feel a small body on top of me, “Elo!, its morning wake up!” I groan as I push her to the side and squint, trying to go back to sleep. She continues to grab me and starts shaking me around like one of her many toy plushies. I give up and drag my body out of bed. There are times when I wish I lived alone. That way, I won’t have my little siblings bothering me. I saw college as an escape from the daily chore of being the oldest sibling in an immigrant family. To my surprise, college was a neverending roller coaster. I was rushing, trying to catch up with students who had everything figured out. I put a strong face on since I did not know how to reach out for emotional support. When I had my first breakdown, I knew that I was homesick. I didn’t realize how much I relied on my family and siblings for company until I found myself yearning and looking for it at Boston College.
Found it. There is a space where I can sit down and enjoy the expensive and flavorless dining hall meals. Something that doesn’t even compare to the freshly cooked meals I helped my mom cook back at home, like our daily bowl of pinto beans with fresh cheese imported from Mexico. I walk to the only open spot outside of Lyons dining hall. A long hard block of concrete that has turned into seats. I slide off my heavy backpack on the floor. I sit, crossing my legs to make a table for my food. I look up, and I can see a typical college environment for the first time since I got here. People surrounded me; some walked to their class, chatting with their friends and peers about classes and professors. The noise all seemed to come together and wrap me in a small bubble. It was a weird feeling. I felt peaceful, yet I was in a loud and busy environment where people would not find peace. It became a routine to watch as people went about their days. It never occurred to me that this place was similar to my house. It was a place where I could free my mind and think while still having the company of other people, in this case, strangers.
On occasions, there is a small moment of silence in which you can hear the humming of cars driving by College Rd. The wind stays still as I focus on the hum that fades in and out, only to come back as another car goes by. My mind is transported back home. A small house next to the Texas Highway. The hum of cars is not new to me, but I got used to the sound of the running road that it just blended in with the rest of the noise coming from my house. The familiarity of this sound made Lyons Lawn even more peaceful. This place became my cure to homesickness. Homesickness is something every college student goes through, and it’s something you would go through. People will try to put up a strong face when asked about homesickness. Some will shrug it off and say, “No yeah, I miss my family, but it’s alright.” Most of the time, we are not alright, and we are just burying this feeling down, just like how the hum of the cars would blend until you can no longer hear them. But sometimes, that slow hum of cars driving can turn into a massive traffic jam filled with honks and signals. A place in which you can get stuck unless you try to be patient and find the courage to reach out and work together with people to help you get out of that traffic jam.
However, you don’t always have to reach out to someone. There are many things you can do to get yourself out of that traffic jam, like music. Whenever I feel lonely, I always reach for the matte black box in my backpack. I open the little black box and take out my sacred pair of earbuds. The noise around me suddenly becomes muffled, and slowly it disappears under the sound of Natalia Jimenez singing her heart out in her song “Sueños rotos.” I see a smile forming as my mind feels empty. This place has allowed me to take a fresh breath of air, breathing out all the worries and the yearning to go home. I always find things to be excited about when I am in this place. My body feels lighter, my hair feels softer, and my skin feels like velvet. This place has ridden me of all my impurities. Or that’s how it feels, at least.
My eyes always fall on a small tree, the long petite trunk followed by a scattered set of leaves hanging from each branch. The leaves are different shades of green, but you can see hints of yellow and orange leaves peeking through to the side. I move my eyes towards the grass around that small tree. There are already dead brown leaves forming a barrier. Fall is coming. I stay there blinking as I think of how much has happened over the past month. I am shocked that it has only been a month since I started my first year of college. To me, it has felt like a year. The nearing of the fall season is like encouragement. I’m halfway there! I can start counting the days until I get back home and see my family for Thanksgiving break. It is lovely to see the trees paint themselves in all sorts of red, yellow, and orange shades. Yet what excites me the most is watching those leaves fall as I know the more leaves I see on the ground, the closer I am to seeing my family again. When dealing with homesickness, you will always find small details like these that will bring you happiness and make you anticipate what’s to come.
Being a college student comes with many struggles, one of the main ones being homesickness. This is why it is essential to find a place to help you get rid of stress and negative thoughts. Every time I sit on that hard concrete block and blast my ears with my favorite song, I am brought back to my room. I see myself sitting on my bed reclining over five stacked pillows as I mute the sound of my younger siblings running around like ants. Hoping for the day, I can have that feeling once again. You will be able to find a place where you will be reminded of the feelings you love the most, whether it is quietness or noisiness. Here at BC, you will find an environment that makes you smile. That reminds you of home. That will become your home.
My Writing Journey 