I may be fairly close to home compared to my classmates who are from places like Long Island and Syracuse, but it doesn’t mean I don’t miss my home. I can’t always click my heels together and flash back to my nice apartment in Dansville.
There was nothing more pleasing to find a place that could bring me there, without me having to physically go home. It wasn’t the comfort I was used to. It was absolutely nothing like my messy bedroom, where I could hide away from all the noise and problems in the world, with my fat orange cat.
I’m sitting in this coffee shop called “Crickets”, watching the sunset, and it’s like being back at home, but better. There’s like 10 upperclassmen that I don’t know. The espresso machine behind my head is making that whirring sound that usually annoys me, but in that moment it was oddly soothing. The air smells of fresh coffee beans and waffles. I’m seeing this beautifully, talented girl singing and I’m so entranced by the just-plain-awesome environment that I’m not feeling any anxiety, or awkwardness. All of my stresses just seemed to melt away. I didn’t realize how healthy and awesome it was for me to be there until after I left and thought about how truly happy I felt.
I felt like I was home, but there was a beautiful Geneseo sunset setting over the valley, the coffee shop was full of people socializing, and my orange cat was nowhere nearby. I can’t tell if it was spending time with two of my super awesome friends who brought me to this coffee shop that released all the dopamine in my brain, or if it was Allison Leah singing the powerful lyrics “Where do hearts go when they need healing? ‘Cause there are no stitches to rid me of this pain I’m feeling. Where do words go when they’re unspoken? ‘Cause I can’t find a way to tell you that I’m broken,” and all of her other wonderful lyrics speaking to me.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that even if you miss home, you can find something right in Geneseo that will make you feel the same comfort you felt at home. Maybe you’ll even feel a better kind of comfort. –Tessa H.