I come from the fine, golden deserts of the Eastern Provence of Saudi Arabia, and no, for those wondering, it is not “Dubai.” Where I come from, it’s very dry and extremely hot, with temperatures rising to more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. My whole life, I’ve attended an all-girls school, in a more conservative environment. For the record, I do not have oil barrels in my backyard (well, at least not yet, anyway).
As a graduating senior in high school, I decided to make the big move to the United States –that’s at least 18 hours of traveling– to complete my college degree. As you may have already guessed, I chose to attend the University of Washington in Seattle, intended to major in Mechanical Engineering and Political Science. The least I could say is that it’s the polar opposite of home.
For one, it rains at least 200 days a year here, and everywhere I go can be walked to. Finding housing is an extremely difficult job, and while I did not score on-campus housing, I signed a lease on a small apartment. A studio, they call it here. It is smaller than my bedroom back home, which did not include a kitchen or a bathroom inside it.
Deep cleaning, furniture shopping, grocery shopping, and every miscellaneous house task you could think of, I did. Back home, I thought it was all going to be a breeze, but trust me, it is on another spectrum of difficulty. Although, I learned one thing about myself. I lack strength in any part of my body. I realized this through not being able to carry a box for more than five seconds without needing to take a five-minute break.
As a future Seattleite, you already know I’ve watched all thirteen seasons of Grey’s Anatomy. Meredith and Kristina’s friendship is one I knew Seattle would bring me. On a side note, a small part of me did decide to make the move because it is home to the first Starbucks of the U.S. (Let’s hope my parents don't see this.)
I’ve been to several college campuses in the area, and by far, UW Seattle’s beat any other by a landslide. Incredibly beautiful, deep-rooted and enriched with history, and of course, what can beat the view of it on a sunny summer day. I’m actually excited to pull all-nighters in the several undergraduate libraries and cram for finals with friends among dozens of cups of coffee.
Seattle is already home to me. I loved it even before seeing it, for I had a good feeling about it, and for once, my head was in its place. Friendly people, great weather, and a place I fit myself into, before adapting to it. While of course, I do have nostalgic memories of my home in Saudi every single day, I am content with Seattle, and I hope that in these four years, Seattle will be content to me. Home is not a physical existence of one’s self in one location, but a wonderful state of mind, heart, and soul.
