This past Tuesday, February 9, I moved into college. My move in date was delayed for about 6 months. One may think with 6 extra months I would be more than ready to move into my Penn State dorm room. The truth is, the extra time I spent at home were some of the best days of my life. I was gifted so much extra time with my loved ones, as they were also delayed going back to school. A new spark of creativity and adventure blossomed out of me. As far as school went, I grew way too comfortable doing my classes on Zoom while sprawled out on my bed with all of my favorite blankets. Slowly, I began appreciating the reality of Covid-19 that I once hated. It’s weird to say, but Covid-19 did have some gems hidden in all of its tragedy. I think if we all look a little closer, we can realize this.
My move-in day was one of the hardest days of my life, to say the least. As an emotional person in the first place, having to say goodbye to the people I loved most, move into a strange, new place, only knowing a handful of people was absolutely tough. Second of all, when it comes to change, I struggle. Having every aspect of my life change all in one day was overwhelmingly terrifying. Dealing with these two hardships at the same time put me in a dark place mentally. The anxiety and worry began to creep in, of course with a side of doubt. As everyone always says, the first night was the hardest but as time passed things got better.
One distinct moment I recognized things were getting better was when I walked out of my New Student Orientation. It was about 8:30 on Wednesday evening and I was expecting to walk with my roommate right back to our dorm, but right as I stepped outside, I landed in the middle of a Penn State snow globe. The streets were covered in a gorgeous sheet of fresh powder. Now it wasn’t like I had never seen snow before, but something about this snow seriously took my breath away! The snow showered me with a warm feeling of familiarity. As I was standing alone in a place I had known for less than 24 hours, I realized that this scary unknown place was not all that scary.
