An Ironic Realization

I write for a college blog called Uloop.  Not many people really know about it, I guess it’s just something I do on the side once a week.  I’ve written about food, yoga pants, Lent, The Artist, and a few other topics.  I’ve only been doing it for about 6 or 7 weeks now and my deadlines are always on Saturdays.  Well, today I wrote my article that is due tomorrow and I realized that it tied in exactly with how I have been feeling.  I also realized I managed to give myself some good advice while I was writing it.

It’s called Learning to Live in Two Worlds, and I know I’ve blogged about something nearly the same before.  But I really liked the article and wanted to share how it turned out.

It starts now. 

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Some of you may live in the same state where you go to college.  I advise you to stop reading this article if that is the case.  This article is dedicated to the students who travel back and forth between two worlds, the world of home and the world of college.  I’m mostly talking to the students that live too far away to fly home on a 3-day weekend.  I happen to be one of them.

Most people say that homesickness is something that happens only at the beginning of the year, but I regret to tell you that for me it happens all the time, especially after I get back from a break.

It’s hard for me to balance my two worlds.  Often, one feels like a dream while the other feels like reality or visa versa.  The switch of going between the two has become, to a point, emotionally draining.  I think I’ve realized there is only one way to truly cope with this problem and that is to simply focus on the world I am currently living in.

I spend too much time missing one place while I am in the other.  There is no point missing home (more than a healthy amount) if you are not home and there is not point missing your friends and your life at school if you are at home.  This article may not apply to everyone depending on your family life, but mine tends to be fairly stable and that’s how I am drawing my conclusions.   

My school campus is beautiful, I love the people I live with in my dorm, and I live in a wonderful city.  Though I have lots of schoolwork, people whom I care about and have a lot of fun with also surround me.  On the other hand, my house is comfortable, my parents are welcoming, my siblings are extremely fun to be around and I have a great dog.  What more could I ask for? 

I simply need to focus on one at a time.  For those of you reading, keep in mind the saying, the grass is greener on the other side.  When you are in one place you always think that another will somehow be better, but that is hardly ever the case. 

I’m simply here to tell you to make the most of the place you are in because that alone is the best way to cope with missing your other world.

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I was trying to give advise to other people, but I think I ended up giving better advice to myself.