Different Air

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't homesick. I am terribly so. Decorah itself is so different from Elgin (where I'm from) in population dynamics and mentality. I'm used to walking down the street and receiving glares for being in the way or the awkward look away, but here everyone smiles or says hello. I'm getting used to it, but there are those days when I really miss the cold nastiness. It makes me feel like a better person sometimes.

I miss my house. I used to live in my basement and it was my Lair of Darkness, as my friends and I coined it, and I'd have my air mattress right in the middle and my couch right next to it. Sure, there were bugs, but there are always going to be bugs. I could turn off the light whenever I wanted and do whatever I wanted. With two roommates, it gets really hard. There's always someone there, which can be nice, but it can also drive me crazy. Everyone has their individual mess and everyone touches things [like my outlet where they "kindly" unplug things] and there's just no escaping the cramped-ness of the room. In my room particularly, I cannot turn on the lights, not even a desk light, after one of my roommates go to sleep. It's REALLY hard. I went from absolutely independent in my basement to sharing with two people.

Of course, I miss my friends. No one drives up five hours to see me, which is alright. I haven't seen a good lot of them in over three months, but hopefully that will change over Thanksgiving. I miss having them around me. The people here are amazing, but it's four years vs. a few months. It's just a lot of turmoil.

I'm not condemning roommates or college, for that matter. I love my roommates to death and I enjoy college, really, but everyone has their days and the more homesick I get, the more I have them. Part of college, probably, is overcoming it and finding your strength. Prioritizing and focusing on what you need to get what you want. Homesickness is going to come along, but it'll also pass.

On that depressing note, I will announce something happy. As in, Happy Birthday to me... on Friday. Woot! 19!