It’s a Sunday afternoon. I wake up naturally at 10:30ish and do my basic routine: shower, make breakfast, eat breakfast, etc… You get the idea. After a few hours of doing my own thing, I walk out into my living room, plop down on the purple couch, and basically stay glued to the cushion for the day. This is what I would classify as my Sunday rot.
My one roommate, keeping me company on the other end of the couch, participates in the same routine. After hours of rotting on the couch, and slightly concerned that my legs are asleep, I ask her, “Do you want to go to 7-Eleven?”
I’ve been a student at West Chester for three years, and the phrase “Do you want to go to 7-Eleven?” has been pretty prevalent throughout all those years. I assumed I’d fall in love with certain aspects of West Chester when I moved here, but never did I think my comfort place would be my University’s local convenience store.
Despite living in a college town with all these unique boutiques and delicious restaurants, nothing has my back quite like 7-Eleven’s Taquitos, Coke slushies, and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.
Here’s how 7-Eleven has singlehandedly supported me throughout college…
So, in my freshman year of college, everything was all new and exciting. I remember going out with my friend, walking around campus, and slightly expanding into the town of West Chester. At the time, the town felt huge and unnavigable so the first place and last place we stopped was 7-Eleven. I couldn’t tell you much about this trip other than I grabbed a glazed donut and called it good but, I noted it as a place I could go for a quick and cheap pick-me-up.
As the semester progressed, 7-Eleven just seemed like the place for my friends and me to migrate to for a late-night adventure. I have distinct memories of my hallmates and I staying up late in our dorms just chatting when suddenly, one of us has the urge to indulge in 7-Eleven Taquitos, and then suddenly, all of us do.
Sophomore year, classes were getting more intense, and late-night homework sessions became a norm, but you know what was there to ensure I wouldn’t fall asleep. 7-Eleven. As a sophomore, I lived on the other side of town, so 7-Eleven wasn’t within a reasonable walking distance. This of course did not stop me from booking it to 7-Eleven after my last class and picking up their 3 for $6.50 Celsius deal for extra energy throughout the late nights. I swear 7-Eleven was half the reason I survived my first research seminar and an 18-credit workload.
Which brings me back to junior year… I am sitting on my purple couch, enjoying my Sunday rot, when I glance at my roommate and ask my seven-word question. My roommate looks at me, then back at the TV, and sighs, “Ben and Jerry’s?”
Not even 10 minutes later we were back on the couch with our ice cream in our hands keeping us company.
It’s a bit humorous how something so minor like a local convenience store can become such a stable in my day-to-day life. It makes me realize that even the small things, like my local 7-Eleven, can become a place of comfort, and I’m sure next year, it will be no different.