I was nervous before leaving for college. I remember asking my wise older cousin Caroline, a recent college graduate, for advice. “Before you know it,” she explained, “you’ll feel like you have two homes. When you’re back at home with your family, you’ll recognize the familiarity of your house and community. But college — your friends, your dorm, campus — will feel like home too. You’ll never feel homesick because two places feel like home.” 

As a senior, I can affirm that her words are true. I sincerely feel at home at GC. The train, which used to be jarring, is now a blur in the background- — I could draw you a map of all four floors of the Science Center with every lab and professor’s office — so many faces on campus are familiar and friendly.

I feel fully at home back in northeast Ohio too, greeted by my enthusiastic dog, childhood bedroom and many happy memories. 

“Home” has always been a particularly important concept for me. I’m a homebody by nature and I used to really struggle to leave the familiar comforts of my house and family. For several years, I had a phobia of sleepovers and sleepaway camps. Sure, this is pretty common for kids, but it was extreme for me, continuing into middle school.

At points, even leaving home to go to school for several hours felt absolutely overwhelming — when I started sixth grade, I utterly refused to go to school for a period of weeks, and only eventually powered through with the help of my extremely patient parents and some mental health treatment. I wondered if I would ever be able to truly leave home and strike out on my own. 

So I was worried before coming to GC that leaving home would be paralyzing for me, and I’d have to come back to Ohio in my first semester. But to my surprise, it was a relatively smooth transition. And I’ve been grateful that throughout college, my notion of “home” has expanded to include my two homes in Ecuador on SST and even specific people that I feel at home with.

I’ve learned that I don’t have one home, or even two homes, but that I’m split between; instead, I have the ability to create a home for myself no matter where I am. Next year, I’ll have a new home in a new city, and although I’m nervous once again, I also feel excited to see what this newness will bring. 

Here’s my advice to you, especially those of you who are new to campus: Treat GC like it is your home. Don’t see it simply as a place to get your degree and leave after four years, as a pit stop in your life filled with exams and projects. Put down roots and pour yourself fully into this campus and all it has to offer you. 

What does this mean more specifically? Plug into activities and clubs on campus. Attend Campus Activity Council events, shows at the Music Center, campus protests, soccer games, etc. Strike up new conversations and do your homework in Java. Or, if you don’t like what GC has to offer you — use your voice and talents to mold it into a home that works for you. This is your home, and you have a say in its offerings and priorities. 

I’m graduating in December and leaving the future of campus in your hands. But, for now, I want to say how grateful I am to all of you who have made me feel at home where the leafy maple grows. 

Amelia Witmer-Rich, a senior biochemistry major from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, is the funnies co-editor for The Record. “For the Record” is a weekly editorial.