Sometimes I wonder why I ended up going to OU. Sure, it's a beautiful school filled with opportunity, but I sometimes have second thoughts whenever I'm walking back from a long day of classes and lab. I am not from Oklahoma nor have I ever lived there until coming to the University of Oklahoma. My family is a 14-hour plane ride and I don't have family nearby so going home on the weekends is not an option. My family has always been a big part of my life. Wherever one of us were at, the whole family was there. Church, dinner, games and holidays were special to us so when Easter came last semester, I spent it alone and sad.
Homesick for me is an unsettling feeling that creeps up on me whenever I miss the little comforts I grew up with. It reminds me that I have no clue why I decided to leave everything I loved to end up in a place where I am constantly busy and stressed out. When I was in high school, I was ready to leave home and start the next chapter in my life. I thought I was prepared, but I wasn't anywhere near that at all.
Last semester, I did not have a good support system or outlet. I remember most days crying and staying in my dorm because I did not want to face reality. I almost considered not coming back to OU because I was worried that I would have a repeat of last semester. With an optimistic mindset and a sense of reassurance, I was ready to face fall semester.
Luckily, I found several great support systems and ways that I could turn my homesickness into something useful. I rushed an amazing house filled with genuine girls that I have the honor of calling my sisters. I volunteer with student heroes where I met so many caring and hardworking individuals through their selfless acts of service. My latino fellowship group has not only helped get in touch with my culture but with God who I failed to have a relationship with last semester. Through all these little groups and services, I have found my place and home at the University of Oklahoma. I still miss my family from time to time, but I now use that energy to do productive things that benefit me and those around me.
