I am in week four of dorm life.
My bed is smaller and my personal space is limited. I haven't seen my family and friends or pet my dog. I learned how to cope with these things. I learned that a twin bed will suck anyway you sleep and to value the time I have alone. Everyone is only a facetime away and I even see a dog at least once a day on campus that I get to play with. The one thing that there is no comparison for is the food. Here are a few of the foods that I miss the most.
1. Red Meat or Steak
I know this doesn't bother everyone but I love my meat. The dining halls rarely serve steak and when they do its $12!! Why would I spend $12 on an overcooked, dry piece of steak when I can get an overcooked, dry piece of chicken for 78 cents?
2. Vegetables
"Don't gain the freshman 15" they say! Well its kind of hard not to when all the side options consist of macaroni and cheese, potatoes and pasta. Seriously I love all these things but I am just a girl trying to get a side of steamed broccoli... is that too much to ask for?
3. Seasoned Food
This is more general but when I do reach for those mash potatoes thats all there is to it. Boiled potatoes, smashed into mashed potatoes. Would it kill the chef to throw on some salt? pepper? garlic? anything?
4. Soup
There is a soup station in my dining hall but chances are its either a) lukewarm to cold or b) has questionable pieces of chicken floating in it. There's nothing I miss more than a good ole cup of homemade (or progresso) soup.
5. Chinese Food
Ok, so there probably is a Chinese restaurant right down the road but face it, we are broke college kids who rather waste a meal swipe on rubbery chicken and unseasoned mashed potatoes than $15 on takeout. So the lo mien and dumplings will just have to wait until I go home and don't have to worry about swipes.
6. Breakfast Food
This sort of relates back to number 3 about unseasoned food. I can get scrambled eggs for breakfast everyday but theres nothing in them. I would like some cheese or ham in there but its just not an option. So here I make do, after I get my eggs I ask the sandwich bar for a slice of cheese and I #BeatTheSystem.
7. Baked Goods
There are always bake sales going on around campus but by the time I get to them the brownies are cold and hard or the cookies are just crumbs. The best, and only way to eat baked goods is half raw straight out of the oven so you burn your tongue just a little bit.
As I lie here in my bed wide away (and now starving) at 2am, these seven things are what I have missed most in the past four weeks. Although I have learned so many new things and had exciting experiences in my month away at college I definitely miss homemade food.
Thanksgiving turkey is only 10 weeks away but who's counting....
