After finishing my second year here at IU, I thought that I was a functional adult who had his life in order, so, naturally, I made the decision to stay in Bloomington, Indiana for the summer.
Until recently, I felt like my home always has been Richmond, Indiana, where everything felt so familiar. I’ve never really had to deal with change living in that small town all my life.
Choosing to come to IU for college was not an easy adjustment for me. I really didn’t feel comfortable living away from home until the end of first semester of my sophomore year.
Even while living at IU I’ve always lived on campus and didn’t tend to venture off into town too much.
So, with all this in mind I was in for a shock when I moved off campus took an internship in town and was getting used to campus being pretty quiet.
Back in Richmond, it wasn’t hard to feel rooted in the community. I volunteered, worked multiple jobs and got involved at school.
I was comfortable in the social circles I spent years building.
However, in Bloomington, outside school, I had next to nothing.
It was more or less a clean start. I couldn’t rely on any reputation I had created for myself back in Richmond to help me establish myself here.
It’s been a month since I moved off campus. In that short amount of time, it has still been pretty easy to notice that how different Bloomington is when IU isn’t in session.
Kirkwood is quiet from the lack of students, orientation groups have already started touring round campus and many of the people I was so used to seeing on a daily basis have left.
With all these changes I’ve had to adjust a lot faster than for what I was ready. I focus on my internship for most of the week as well as discovering more of what makes Bloomington unique. (I found out just a couple weeks ago that Lil Bub is from here.)
Granted, one thing I miss about Richmond were all those small spots that I become special to me. Places that coffee shop so close to my house I frequently walked to it and a swing at the local college that I had always gone to since I was a little kid.
On the same note, since I decided to stay in Bloomington for the summer I’ve been more open finding places like the ones I left behind in Richmond.
While it might seem small there is a parking garage I park in everyday when I go to work at my internship. It’s right along the B-Line on Morton Street.
If you go to the top of this eight story garage you won’t believe the view. You can see all of Bloomington.
You have to stand there for a minute just to really appreciate it.
I know that something like this really isn’t all that special, but neither are those places back in Richmond.
The thing is while the places we form attachments with may be insignificant, but they are still ours.
What, I really feel like what I’m getting at is that I was wrong about feeling grown up, but I do feel like I have matured ever since I decided to leave Richmond behind.
Maybe that’s just part of growing up: leaving what has become something second nature to you and making your new surroundings yours.
I know I’m still some immature kid, but I also know Bloomington is my home.
