Week 8: Going Home

Hey guys! So the semester has definitely picked up and the continuous exam season is on a loop. I basically finished and started my first and second round of exams in the same week. Being so busy can be a good thing for someone who is homesick like me, but it's also annoying because you feel like you can't go home. I feel bad for people out of state who have to wait til November to go home for Thanksgiving. I am so grateful to only be 3 hours away from home because I am able to go home every two weeks, which I am so happy about. I am extremely close to my family, I can't even explain it to you guys, so having the choice of going home in the back of my mind makes it easier to get through the weeks honestly. Coming home is always a weird feeling because it's like you're a guest in your own home and you're on vacation. I still have a lot of work to do when I am at home, but it just feels so relaxing and nice to be comfortable and not overwhelmed with campus life. However, the weekends at home fly by and it can be sad. Sundays are probably the worst day in history as they are so bittersweet. After spending two days with family, doing everything I enjoy at home, like eating out, watching TV, and hanging out with all my loved ones, I have to say goodbye and go back "home." It's such a weird feeling. I thought it would get easier, but honestly every time it gets harder and I hate it. I am currently home, so I am hoping that I don't feel too upset when I go back. I am perfectly fine when I am in Austin, but that transition from leaving Houston to go back makes me so depressed that I wish I could just move UT to Houston for my convenience. But I know I can't have the best of both worlds. I just feel like when I am in Austin I miss out on memories and family experiences, so when I am back I don't want to leave. Coming back to my old room in the comfort of my home is something that I never thought I would have to worry about or miss because I always thought it would be there. Everyone misses me so much, so I really love the special treatment I get when I come back as well. It's good to know that the time I get to spend with everyone when I am back home is not wasted and is sacred in a way, and we are all fortunate to have that because many other people cannot come home until the longer breaks. So just some advice before I sign off, if you do get time and are able to go home, I totally recommend it because you need that balance. Being cooped up in Austin is not always the greatest, especially because campus is dead on the weekends; however, if you can't go home, just please try to stay in touch with everything and everyone back home because it makes the transition process easier.

Week 1: Moving In

 Sooo, August 24th was when I came to my new home for the next four years. I was really excited, but nervous at the same time. I'm really close to my family, so it was definitely going to be a process adjusting away from home. I remember everything from that day: we left my house after spending two days packing, the drive up from Houston was pretty short (probably because of the mixed emotions of coming to UT), and I remember the overwhelming feeling of getting my keys, going into my dorm in Duren for the first time, setting everything up, and saying bye to my family. My brother graduated from UT in 2016, so he went down memory lane when we drove up to campus, but of course I was so confused with all the acronyms he was using (I'm still trying to learn and become fluent in campus lingo - "UT"). The feeling of independence immediately hit me when I had to go by myself to grab my keys and figure out my ID situation because they separate family and students at the gate of the baseball stadium. After completing the first task on the checklist, my brother and I took a picture at the Moov-In sign they had set up for freshmen. It was surreal because it started to hit me that this was it.

Next, we drove up to Duren and unloaded the car. My roommate, who is a friend from high school, was already there with her family, so the room was pretty cramped (as you can imagine). However, it was much bigger than I expected, not to mention, we had our own bathroom! It was a tradeoff having our own bathroom, but also having to clean our rooms ourselves, but anything is better than a community bath! I recommend living with a friend who is well acquainted with your family, but not someone who you would want to risk losing as a friend. I love my roommate and we have gotten closer, but sometimes there are horrible roommate stories, so to avoid that - don't do random roommate selection. I want to be very direct with you guys and let you into my experience as much as I can. San Jacinto was my first dorm choice, but all the rooms were taken by the time I had to select my room. Duren is really far from main campus, but luckily my morning classes are in Moody, which is right around the corner. Despite the walking, I come to main campus everyday. Anyways, back to moving in. It took my family and I about 1-2 hours to set up the room, but it all worked out quite well. My family was staying the night in a hotel, and my sadness has hit hard at this point, and I decided to stay with them rather than my dorm. I just wanted to spend my last few moments with my parents. I know it may seem dramatic, but I am the baby of the family and I am VERY close to my parents, so I didn't want to say goodbye just then.
Fast forward to the next day, this was it. It was time to do the one thing I was dreading since I got into UT: I had to say bye to my family. After spending the afternoon with them, I reassured my family that I would be okay because everyone was emotional and not ready. We all knew this was going to happen, and just like that, my parents were on their way back to Houston. Of course, as soon as I got into my room, I started bawling because I was holding in the tears in front of my family. Luckily though, my roommate was amazing and very comforting. We decided to explore the campus to keep our mind off of the sadness, and honestly it was a smart decision. I'm so lucky Houston is only 2.5 hours away, but for those who are moving much farther away from home - I want to suggest talking to your family as much as you can when you move away, especially in the beginning because it truly will make you feel better. Don't internalize, distract yourself by exploring, make friends, and talk to people about how you're feeling! Never go through anything alone, it's all about going through an experience that will shape your life forever. There are so many students on campus, you really don't feel stressed or scared. I'm glad I picked UT to spend my next four years!