During Thanksgiving of my first year at Saint Mary’s, my family moved from a house in a valley at the start of the Rocky Mountains to a condo right in the middle of downtown Chicago. The transition from Littleton, Colorado to Chicago was far from easy. I left the only place I had truly called my home to go to a new city where the only people I knew were those related to me. I had a really hard time accepting the fact that the last night I slept in my childhood room before starting my first semester was the last time I would ever step foot in that space. I felt like I was never going to go home. That was the first time I have ever felt homesick.
Fast forward two years later, and I am homesick again, but this time in a very different way. Little did I know that I would go from having one place to call home, to having four places to call home, Chicago, Littleton, Rome, and Saint Mary’s. Each of those places have changed me and shaped me into the person I am today. While I am in one place, I often times find myself missing the others. It is not the bed and the four walls that I miss, but rather the people and experiences that make me want to go back.
Chicago is an amazing city filled with many interesting people and endless opportunities. I love walking by the lake and seeing the beluga whales at the Shedd Aquarium. There are so many restaurants to try, all offering different tastes and styles. And having some of the best shopping in the country just blocks from my condo is both a blessing and a curse. It is so nice being here for the summer. I get to spend quality time with my parents and nothing beats my mom’s cooking. Chicago has become by home. Even though I feel at home here, I still miss the other three places.
I miss Colorado. I miss the beautiful Rocky Mountains and shredding down the slopes on my snowboard. I miss summertime concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheater, dancing and singing along to every song. I miss my friends that at times, know me better than I know myself. I miss the familiarity and the comfort of the place I was lucky enough to call my home for twelve years.
I miss Rome. I miss walking the cobble stone streets of the Eternal City. I miss having heart to hearts while sharing a bottle (or two) of wine on the rooftop of the Albergo del Sole with girls who are now some of my closest friends. I miss dancing around room 417 with my roommates while getting ready for another karaoke night at Scholars. I miss “charging” of the bus to explore a new Italian city or jet setting on the weekends to Amsterdam or Barcelona. Although three months was all I had in Rome, three months was all I needed to feel at home.
Last but not least, I miss Saint Mary’s. I miss driving down The Avenue as views of our beautiful campus fill the windshield. I miss football Saturdays where we wake up way too early to go to the Joyce Center parking lot, where my dad always has food on the grill, and prepare to cheer on the Irish ’till we loose our voices. I miss weekend brunch in the DH, where we piece together the events from the night before over bacon and omelets. I miss the professors and mentors who challenge us to become the best versions of ourselves. And I miss living just steps away from friends who have become sisters.
I am happy where I am, but I miss where I have been. Life is forever changing, and instead of fighting the change, I have chosen to look forward to it. Change is how we develop and I am so thankful to the people and experiences that have had a positive effect on me. Being homesick is okay because it allows me to appreciate the many blessings I have had and continue to have in my life. So I will enjoy Chicago for now, but I am so excited to be back with my favorite smick chicks in our home beneath the Bell Tower in just a few short weeks.
Photos provided by the author
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