One in Two Thousand

Almost twelve million people live in Ohio.

A little under a million people live in Columbus, Ohio. 

In my little corner of Ohio, there are two thousand people. Gambier, Ohio is home to Kenyon College, a small school where the campus envelops the town. Kenyon is one long stretch, starting from Old Kenyon and ending at Bexley Hall. This little campus is magical every season, or so I’ll choose to believe since this is my first year here. It will always leave you excited to continue your adventure as an Owl. 

I moved around the world my entire life because my father was in the military. I never had a good sense of home, or even an understanding of why we were moving around so much; I just knew it was my dad’s job, and that’s how it had to be. I can never be angry at my Dad for this, as it shaped me in many ways. I feel it gives me a better understanding of the world around me, and allows me to form relationships with people easier. 

For eighteen years, we jumped around from state to state, almost never living in the same place twice. But what stayed a constant was my Nana and Papa’s house. Almost every summer, my parents and I would stay for two weeks; if it was a summer we were moving, I would stay with my Nana and Papa until the house was ready for me. My grandparents’ house became this great constant. I never believed that I would be going to school in Ohio. Never in a million years. 

Once I saw Kenyon, I realized how badly I wanted to be there. I wouldn’t even wear my favorite Kenyon hoodie to school, fearing that if I wore it too much, the universe would play a cruel game on me. I remember getting into college; I was sitting on the couch scrolling through the Kenyon 2028 page, hoping within the next couple weeks I could be posted on there. When the email came, I immediately started to cry out of anticipation. Kenyon was the school I wanted to go to. After eighteen years of moving, I would finally get the final say of where I would end up. When I got in, I screamed, my parents screamed, and the dogs barked. I immediately called my girlfriend crying with such excitement that I was finally making a decision for myself. I was finally making my dreams come true.

Being a military kid in Gambier, Ohio feels simple. My campus is small and quaint. I know exactly where everything is. My friends are mere minutes away from me and my grandparents, finally, an hour or two away. It’s comforting being able to finally know I made this decision and that most importantly, I love being here. 

I am one of two thousand unique stories here. But, to put it simply, I have found a home away from home. One where I know I’ll always have a place. 

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• Kenyon College
• military child
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