Everyone’s first semester at a new university consists of countless quests to find their new happy place. For some, they need a constantly moving place that is easy to disappear into. Others prefer solitude in a near empty environment.
During my first few weeks at BU I tried finding my new happy place. I started in the lounge in my dorm hall but it was too loud with the constant buzzing of the ID scanners every time someone walked in. The lounge in the COM building was nice until school started and everyone had the same idea as me and made the place a living zoo.
The 4th floor and 5th floor of Mugar Library were my safe zone until it became cold out and the library became a frozen tundra. The esplanade across the river was good until I had to start dodging bikers and runners who weren’t paying attention.
One night I left the library after reading a few books and went for a walk. I was determined to find someplace where I could think, read and write in peace. As I was walking down the alley next through the BU Beach, the zipper on my jacket broke. I ran over to a bench and tried fixing it. When I fixed my jacket I looked up and saw what I was looking for.
There are endless views from the BU Beach meaning that every time you go there you will find something new. When I sit on my favorite bench and look out at the water, I see the hotel lined with red and green lights. It looks like a Mayan temple. I see the boathouse where my twin brother rows. Occasionally I will see some rowers on the dock and will squint hoping I can recognize one of them.
When the views facing the water lose their luster, I look around me. I see the naked trees and the trees appear bundled up in thick coats of green.
The BU Beach gets its name from the idea that if you close your eyes the rushing cars on the highway apparently sound like waves. I tested this theory and was thoroughly disappointed. All I heard was screeching, honking, cursing, and general bedlam that is common among Boston drivers.
But then a few weeks later I left the library very late at night and sat on the bench to clear my head after hours of writing essays. My eyes began to close because of how tired I was. I let my eyelids take a rest. Then I heard the “waves.” Maybe I dreamt it but I can swear to you that when there are less cars on the road, the rolling hum of waves surrounds you.
While I have now found my new study place (that I will not reveal in this article because I don’t want people crowding it), I still visit the beach once a day. After a long day of thinking, reading, writing,and studying, I let the sublime nature of the beach surround me.
