It's been a good month since I've moved out of my dorm and back into my old room. It's strange to think about, how I had this fantastic year at this great school, and now I feel like a guest in my old room. I want to say I've adjusted to being in my quiet house again, but every now and then I forget I don't live in a dorm anymore. After being home for what seems like eternity, here are some things I never thought I would miss about college.
1. My Tiny Dorm Room
While we were all at school, we would complain about being cramped in our tiny rooms. With the broken heater and the door awkwardly hitting my wardrobe whenever it opens, it wasn't the most ideal living situation. Now that I'm back in my own room, I miss being able to joke about our poor living situation with my friends. I can't really complain about my room now, or I would come off as insane. Saying something like "my room is too big!" or "I have too much closet space!" doesn't seem as entertaining as "it may be 10 degrees outside, but we have to keep the window open because the radiator is acting up."
2. The Dining Hall
Who would've thought I would miss the food at the school?! I do truly miss having meals ready for me all hours of the day, and then not really having to do dishes. It was so easy to take a quick 5 minute walk to pick something up for lunch, or get a group of friends together to grab dinner. Now that I'm back home, I miss how simple it was to get food.
3. The Noise
While at school, my headphones became a part of me. I was constantly playing music to block out any background noise from the dorm halls while doing homework or just trying to relax. Since I've been home, it seems to be *too* quiet. It feels like something is missing, and I would say it's my friends. The noise on our floor was a reminder we were all close by, and now that I'm back home I miss being one door away from them.
4. The Gym
Since I don't belong to a gym at home, I have felt this the most. While I didn't go to the gym as often as I could've, it was still so nice to have next door. It was something to do when I wasn't stressing over papers for class, and being back home makes me wish I still had a gym a short walk away. Working out not only made me stronger, but helped me relieve some of the stress I had from class.
5. The Town
This might be an odd one, especially for St. Bonaventure. Olean, New York is an interesting town. We would make jokes about how small it is with friends at the beginning of the year, but of course we grew to like it as the year went on. It made for funny stories when running through Walmart at 3am, or singing at duet at Karaoke Night at Applebees. I can't leave out how the whole community comes together for Bonaventure Basketball games, for the Riley Center gets packed on game days. The town itself is great, but the people who contribute to the college community are awesome, too!
6. The Campus
I totally took for granted how pretty the campus is at St. Bonaventure. The Enchanted Mountains of Western New York always looked so amazing all four seasons. There were too many sunsets that made me stop in my tracks and admire the many colors that painted the sky. It would be so quiet at night, and combined with great weather you could sit outside for hours. I miss being on this campus, that made being in the middle of nowhere very picturesque, thus bearable.
7. The Freedom
Oh, how naive I was to come home and expect the same freedom I had at school. It's so strange to adjust back to living with my family, but I did have total freedom at school. Without my parents telling me when to go to bed and where to go, I had to find my own path, and I had a lot of fun doing so. I had my own routine I would do throughout each day and was shooketh to come home and change it. One day, when I start paying my own rent and other adult things, I will realize how easy it was to live in my parents house. Until then, I will continue to adjust to being at home.
I am enjoying my break at home, but this break has caused me to look back on a lot. While I never thought I would admit to missing dining hall food, I figure it's just me wanting to get back to Bonaventure. Only a few more months until I return!
