In this New Year, this new semester has brought with it many changes: new friends, new delicious discoveries, a new sense of home, and wonderful new families. I haven't been able to write for a while because I've been processing a lot of the changes that I've been experiencing because some of them have been so overwhelmingly amazing/confusing/exhausting/awe-inspiring.
My mom visited my brother and me for winter break and it was interesting to have someone, who has always been such an essential part of my concept of home, here at Oberlin in this home that I've been building over the past year and a half. While spending time with my mom, I became very aware of how much I have changed during my time in Oberlin. And at first it concerned me. Suddenly my old home felt so far away. The truth is I've always been really close to both my parents and I couldn't understand why things felt so different all of a sudden. I got so upset over how my mom didn't seem to see the world the same way I did anymore because I always assumed that we would naturally see it the same way. But that happens - people grow and change and start to perceive their world differently. It can be terrifying at times and you may experience it one day, or may already have experienced it, but it's perfectly normal. It took me some time to realize that it doesn't necessarily mean that we were growing apart; it just means that we needed to create a space where we could share our experiences together. So we did! And it was so beautiful when after we'd shared that moment, we could continue growing individually while constantly intertwining in our shared experiences. And suddenly my mom and my home didn't feel so far away anymore.
So I came back to Oberlin for Winter Term from a very difficult but fulfilling winter break, and I was so excited to spend a month in the quieter whiter wonderland of January-Oberlin. I did the docent training program at the Allen Memorial Art Museum with Jason Trimmer and spent hours upon hours sitting with old paintings, talking and laughing about old paintings, and dancing around the old paintings. Jason would have us do these crazy gallery games, where we'd dance in East Gallery or rush (well actually, hurry respectfully) around the galleries in search for our favorite work of erotic art, because he wanted the museum to feel like our space and let us make it our world. It was wonderful! I spent the rest of my days cuddling up in my room with tea and new friends or old friends I don't normally see as much during the semester. There were many visits to Slow Train, especially after one of my friends introduced me to their incredible Berry Bar. It was great to spend that time on campus, because I got to slow down in a way that I didn't really get to last semester. Winter Term was filled with a lot of long laid-back nights, middle school sleepovers, fancy homecooked dinners, and a lot of nesting. It was exactly what I needed to feel like Oberlin really is my own little world.
And then this new semester has introduced me to two incredible new families at Oberlin! I just started working at HIV Peer Testers and at the Sexual Information Center, and it's so wonderful because I feel like I've just become part of two huge beautiful families filled with some of the most passionate and talented people I've met at Oberlin. I'm having the most incredible time getting to know everyone, and they've just been such a supportive and positive part of this new chapter in my life! It's such a great feeling to have a space that I can walk into any day and be greeted by smiling faces and good vibes, so I invite all of you to come by and visit us anytime whether you want to talk about sexual health, get tested, get safer sex supplies, or just hang out, read some awesome books from our library and chit chat (HIV Peer Testers is in Wilder 309 and the SIC is in Wilder 203!).
So that's just a little bit of catch up for all of you that I really felt was necessary for me to get out there. A lot has changed since last semester and I'm really excited about this upcoming semester, especially because I'm so excited to share it all with you guys! Be prepared (I'm warning you) for A LOT of good feels on this blog this semester!
(ALSO, I was just rereading my post and realized that I needed to share another new delicious discovery with you guys before I started doing my homework... THE STEVIE BREAKFAST BURGER! Quick how to: burger buns, burger patty with cheese, scrambled eggs, bacon, tomatoes, mixed greens, ketchup and red hot concoction sauce, with a side of fries topped with pesto/chipotle mayonnaise concoction and five spice... an utterly divine experience!)
