Hello everyone,
One week ago today I was still at school with the plans to remain on campus for as long as possible. Today I am sitting at the dining room table writing this blog having just finished studying for an online midterm I have to do later this week. Within the past week I have been uprooted from my home (school/Portland) and thrown back into my house in Minnesota.
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| Playing Ticket to Ride! |
On Monday I had my first online class while still at school. The sun was out so my friends and I sat outside and did homework. At that moment I thought I would be staying at school. I thought about how beautiful the campus is and how going to online classes would be okay. In the afternoon I worked in the library for the last time this semester unknowingly. Later, Caleb and I went to the gardens and climbed on the stone walls for fun. Dinner that night was the last time we were allowed to sit in the dining hall and eat together but we had no idea at the time. McKenna and I went to the gym to lift after which was great. That night my friends had all come over to my room to hangout. I had taken a shower and when I returned a friend asked if I was staying on campus and I said “yes” to which they replied to the group “she hasn’t seen the email yet…” I immediately took out my phone to read the email that the school would be refunding students 20% of their room and board if they left by March 22 (sunday, today). In a split second I decided I was coming home. The email served as the final push and the signal I had been waiting for to make a decision to go home. For the rest of the night all my friends were in my room and we played Ticket to Ride and enjoyed each other’s company for a final time. My roommates and I stayed up all night packing everything up into boxes and suitcases.
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| Storage time |
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| The bridge on the last night |
Tuesday was my last day of sophomore year spent on campus. The day was spent returning library books and textbooks, moving all of our stuff into a storage unit off campus, and cherishing the final hours with my friends around me. It has been such a crazy and fast transition I cannot imagine having midterms or real homework to do during this week. Friends of mine still had tests and projects that were due this past week that they had to somehow do while moving across the country. Luckily I only have classes 4 days a week and they’re pretty spread out so I haven’t had the added stress of school work during this transition. That night my friends and I ate dinner outside on the lawn and we threw a frisbee around. Being there was reminiscent of the outdoor picnic that happens at the end of New Student Orientation… just a more sad version of it. Later I went to say goodbye to friends and seniors that I may never see again (which of course was heartbreaking). My friends and I spent the rest of the night hanging out together doing everything from helping our friend pack to visiting the frogs that live in the pond to eating all the food we still had left and taking self-timer pictures.
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| Last night self-timer pics |
Wednesday morning I woke up early to do some last minute errands like returning things to friends and putting my donated clothes into the bins. I got breakfast in the dining hall for the last time ever on a meal plan (since I’m living off campus next year so no need for a meal plan anymore!!). My roommates and I all had flights that left around the same time so we went to the airport at the same time. One of my roommates Skylin was on the same flight with me to Denver and it wasn’t until I had to say goodbye to her at the Denver airport (since I was getting on a connecting flight to Minnesota) that it really hit me that I was all alone and going home. I was greeted at the airport by my family and my dog which was exciting.
I have been home for 5 days now and I cannot wait to go back to Portland. I’ve tried to busy myself with reading some new books for fun, building puzzles, running, and watching tv. Last night my friends from school and I had a group video call which was really wholesome and helps me feel less isolated and sad. Online Zoom classes are my new favorite thing since I get to see friends from class and be doing something productive. Social distancing and quarantine are not easy for anyone in any situation. However, I will argue that it is so much harder for college students that are now back at home with their families because for them their entire routine has been completely altered and they are living in a “new” place with different rules, norms, and expectations than school. They have been ripped apart from their closest friends and support systems they had. We are all working to support each other long-distance and virtually but it is not the same. It’s hard to be planning for the future with such uncertainty of how things will look a few months from now. My friends and I have talked about going to each other’s states to visit this summer and I am planning to move back to Oregon when the lease on the house I am living in starts in the summer. Just trying to stay hopeful for the future and get through this period in time.
Everyday I wish to be back at school where I was thriving. I would give almost anything to return to Portland, to see my friends, to have in-person classes, to have freedom and independence again. I recognize the privilege I have in my ability to travel home and I am grateful that I have a home and family to return to. There are so many people out there who are stuck away from family or do not have a family to return to at all.
Stay safe and stay informed,
Sarah