Twitterive
Prologue:
This narrative was inspired by a series of my tweets. As I tweeted about my surroundings, I realized how much my feelings about Rowan differ from my feelings about home. I realized that while I am here on campus the majority of the time, I am often thinking about home. My twitterive will take place at Rowan, a place that I do not feel fully connected to. While on campus I cannot help but feel more connected to my home. I just transferred to Rowan one semester ago, so living away from home is still relatively new to me. On campus I have a person that connects to home as well. My closeness to my best friend Sarah is a reflection of my need for comfort and connection to home. I have grown up with her and been close with her for over ten years. Her familiar friendship is what I cling to in the relatively unfamiliar place of Rowan.
While I enjoy my time on campus, I am always looking forward to the weekends when I can go home. I view it as an escape, an escape from the stress and responsibility of being a student. I look forward to my mom’s cooking, playing video games with my brother, and just laying around enjoying my family’s presence. My Twitterive will explore the disconnect I have to Rowan, and my longing for the connection of home.
The tweets that inspired this Twitterive are below:
good to be home for the day. finally a real meal! #twitterive
home for the day watching some football by the fire with the family #twitterive http://twitter.com/#!/aerobinson15
just waited 20 minutes for a cold pretzel and a drink at the starbucks at the new bookstore. ridiculous. #twitterive
So much work to do, so little motivation. Praying for a snow day! #twitterive
probably shouldn't have waited until the night before to write this paper. and why do they keep it so cold in the library?! #twitterive
"You never know what is enough until you know what is more than enough." #twitterive
While I enjoy my time on campus, I am always looking forward to the weekends when I can go home. I view it as an escape, an escape from the stress and responsibility of being a student. I look forward to my mom’s cooking, playing video games with my brother, and just laying around enjoying my family’s presence. My Twitterive will explore the disconnect I have to Rowan, and my longing for the connection of home.
The tweets that inspired this Twitterive are below:
good to be home for the day. finally a real meal! #twitterive
home for the day watching some football by the fire with the family #twitterive http://twitter.com/#!/aerobinson15
just waited 20 minutes for a cold pretzel and a drink at the starbucks at the new bookstore. ridiculous. #twitterive
So much work to do, so little motivation. Praying for a snow day! #twitterive
probably shouldn't have waited until the night before to write this paper. and why do they keep it so cold in the library?! #twitterive
"You never know what is enough until you know what is more than enough." #twitterive
August 16, 2010
Two weeks until move-in day I couldn’t contain my excitement to go shopping for my new apartment at Rowan. After two years at community college I couldn't wait to finally be living out on my own. I excitedly rushed up and down the aisles of Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond with my two page list in my hand. About an hour into the three hour trip my mother began to drag her feet and complain.
“Alyssa, do you really brand new thirty dollar sheets for a college dorm room?”
“First of all, it’s an apartment! And second of all, regular sheets won’t fit, they have to be extra-long. We’ve been through this about fifty times now, Mom.”
“What a rip-off. I don’t know why you can’t just live at home and commute.”
“I’m twenty years old! I need to get out of this house!”
“Yeah, yeah. We’ll see how long you have that attitude. I bet you’ll be home every weekend.”
“Yeah right! Don't get me wrong, I'm gonna miss you guys, but I’ll be home once a month maybe.”
“Mhm, we’ll see about that.”
“Alyssa, do you really brand new thirty dollar sheets for a college dorm room?”
“First of all, it’s an apartment! And second of all, regular sheets won’t fit, they have to be extra-long. We’ve been through this about fifty times now, Mom.”
“What a rip-off. I don’t know why you can’t just live at home and commute.”
“I’m twenty years old! I need to get out of this house!”
“Yeah, yeah. We’ll see how long you have that attitude. I bet you’ll be home every weekend.”
“Yeah right! Don't get me wrong, I'm gonna miss you guys, but I’ll be home once a month maybe.”
“Mhm, we’ll see about that.”
Journal Entry
August 31, 2010
Today was move- in day. The day I've been looking forward to for months. After I finished loading up two cars with all of my belongings, I took one last look at my room. In all the twenty years of living there, I had never seen that room so empty. For months I hadn't been able to contain my excitement for finally moving out on my own, but in that moment I couldn't help but feel like I was making a mistake. As I made the forty minute drive to Rowan with my brother, my mind couldn't stop going in a million different directions. What are my roommates going to be like? What's my apartment like? I wonder if Sarah moved in yet. Most of my fears were put to rest when I finally got there though. My roommates seem really nice. That's a relief. As the day went on I found myself dreading the moment when my parents would leave and i'd be on my own. I had to suppress my tears as I hugged them goodbye. That was so unlike me. I don't know why I got so emotional. But I had completely forgotten about that by that night. Sarah and I hung out at my apartment and we met a lot of new people. So excited for this to be my new home for the next couple of years!
October 20, 2010
Me: Hey brother! What's going on?
Alex: Hey, not much. How's school going?
Me: Eh stressful. Weekends are the only thing keeping me going throughout the week.
Alex: Ah that sucks. Atleast you have some freedom there. Mom's driving me crazy.
Me: Dude, be grateful for that woman and her cooking. This nasty Rowan food is getting old really fast.
Alex: Haha I can imagine. How are your roommates?
Me: They're alright. I mainly hang out with Sarah and some people from her dorm. You have to come down one weekend and meet everyone.
Alex: Well I don't know how you expect that to happen when you're home every weekend anyway.
Me: Ha-ha very funny. More like every other weekend smart ass. But actually I will be home Sunday. Tell mom to cook me something good.
Alex: Haha ok. See you then.
Me: Bye!
October 28, 2010
The clock finally strikes 2:00. I’ve been sitting in class all day struggling to hold my dry, scratchy eyes open. As I walk a half a mile to my apartment, which happens to be located on the farthest corner of campus, my mind races thinking about everything I have to get done this week. By the end of the walk I’ve slipped into a mini panic attack. My chest tightens and I’m convinced I’ll never get it all done. As I enter the apartment I walk past the sink full of dirty dishes and struggle to breathe through the stench of rotting food in the trash can- just what I need after a stressful day on this damn campus. I live with a house full of slobs. At least I’ll have a clean, quiet room to get some of my massive to-do list done. My professor had just assigned a five-page paper two days before the due date. I love how professors choose to ignore the fact that we’re dealing with four other classes other than theirs. After a half an hour I finally get on a roll with my paper. Of course, this is when my roommate decides to come plowing through the door, rambling about her day and turning up the television as loud as it will go. I need to get out of here! In just two more days i'll be at home, sitting on the couch with my mom, eating a home-cooked meal.
November 1, 2010
The clock finally strikes 4:30. I receive a text from my best friend, Sarah: “Let’s eat!” I look forward to this text every day. Each day we go to the cafeteria to eat crappy food and talk. We've known each other since fourth grade and as we both made the transition of living at home, to living on campus, we became closer than ever. I can relate to her better than anyone else and I can confide in her about anything. I circulate around the cafeteria, desperately trying to find something decent looking to eat. I settle for some lukewarm pasta with stale bread and sit down at a dirty table with leftover food and dirty napkins all over it. Typical Rowan.
“So how was your day?” Sarah asked.
This simple question triggered a five minute rant about my sloppy roommates, crazy professors, and lack of sleep. I’ve always been grateful to have her to get everything off my chest. She's the funniest person I know, and always somehow manages to change my mood around in an instant. By time my rant was over I was able to breathe again, and shortly after she had me laughing and forgetting all about my stress. But after that stress-free hour with Sarah, I forced myself to trek back to my apartment and back to reality. A night full of papers and studying awaited me.
Sarah and I,
2000
2000
Sarah and I,
2010
2010
Journal Entry
November 15, 2010
I miss my family. I miss sitting around playing video games with my brother. I even miss my dad's stupid jokes. But most of all I miss my mom. Whenever something happens, I want to go to her to tell her about it. Sure, she's only a phone call away, but it's not the same. I never realized how close we were until I didn't get to see her every day. Moving out made me realize that she's one of my best friends. I feel like I'm just going through the motions here at school. Every day it's the same. Get up ridiculously early, go to class, come home and do work all night, then go to bed to get ready to do it all over again. I just want to be home, where I'm comfortable. Maybe it's just laziness, or maybe the stress is getting to me, but I am hating it here.
November 20, 2010
Home sweet home! Finally! After a thirty minute speedy drive my home is finally in sight! I jump out of my car and run into the house. The smell of my mom’s chili immediately fills my nose. I go straight to the kitchen and grab a bowl and some corn bread before giving my Mom a big hug and plopping down on my favorite spot on the couch next to my brother. I can feel the stress of school lifting off my chest I sit there surrounded by my family. Nothing is on my mind other than the football game playing on the television and the delicious chili I’m stuffing my face with. I gossip with my mom and listen to my dad scream at the television. It couldn’t be more perfect. When the day is over I hop into bed. I drift to sleep on what I am convinced is the most comfortable bed I have ever, and will ever sleep on- a stark contrast to my rock hard mattress at Rowan. An added bonus is the dark, quiet room free from the sound of a blasting television from my roommate. I wake up to the smell of my dad’s famous chocolate chip banana pancakes. I look forward to another day full of television and family before I have to trudge my way back to hell.
To Do List at
Rowan:
- study for comm. theory test
- teaching literacy paper
- TLC II lesson plan
- lit essay
- intro to WA reading
- email advisor
- laundry
- buy Mom a birthday present
- go grocery shopping
- clean the bathroom
- call mom
- sleep?
- teaching literacy paper
- TLC II lesson plan
- lit essay
- intro to WA reading
- email advisor
- laundry
- buy Mom a birthday present
- go grocery shopping
- clean the bathroom
- call mom
- sleep?
To Do List at
Home:
- watch tv
- eat dinner
- take a nap
- watch some more tv
- sleep
- eat dinner
- take a nap
- watch some more tv
- sleep
Journal Entry
December 18, 2010
I absolutely hate finals week. I have never been so stressed out in my life. I have so many lesson plans and final papers to write. I can't concentrate on anything. I miss my mom. All I can think about is going home, and spending the next month doing absolutely nothing with my family. I need to escape this place. The stress, my roommates, the lack of sleep, is completely draining me. Ugh, just a few more days and I'm out of this hell hole for a month. My hand is so cramped I can't even write anymore. I... need... sleep.
Stress
Up all night, eyes fixated on the bright computer screen
Mindlessly typing words
To please the professor and get my degree
All I hear is the rhythmic clicking of the keys
Just one more page till my head can hit the pillow
My eyes grow dry and heavy
Holding them open becomes a chore
My back aches from the hard wooden chair
My head throbs from the blinding light of the screen
One more paragraph to go
As the final word flows out onto the screen
I breathe a sigh of relief
Save and print
My head falls to the pillow like a brick
Loud beeps pulsate through my dreams and startle me awake
Long before the sun has even risen
My bed is always more comfortable in the morning
Here we go again
Will this all be worth it in the end?
Mindlessly typing words
To please the professor and get my degree
All I hear is the rhythmic clicking of the keys
Just one more page till my head can hit the pillow
My eyes grow dry and heavy
Holding them open becomes a chore
My back aches from the hard wooden chair
My head throbs from the blinding light of the screen
One more paragraph to go
As the final word flows out onto the screen
I breathe a sigh of relief
Save and print
My head falls to the pillow like a brick
Loud beeps pulsate through my dreams and startle me awake
Long before the sun has even risen
My bed is always more comfortable in the morning
Here we go again
Will this all be worth it in the end?
May be surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel all alone
I just wanna go home
Oh, I miss you, you know
And I’ve been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you
Each one a line or two
“I’m fine baby, how are you?”
Well I would send them but I know that it’s just not enough
My words were cold and flat
And you deserve more than that
Another aeroplane
Another sunny place
I’m lucky, I know
But I wanna go home
Mmmm, I’ve got to go home
Let me go home
I’m just too far from where you are
I wanna come home
-Home, Michael Buble
A million people I
Still feel all alone
I just wanna go home
Oh, I miss you, you know
And I’ve been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you
Each one a line or two
“I’m fine baby, how are you?”
Well I would send them but I know that it’s just not enough
My words were cold and flat
And you deserve more than that
Another aeroplane
Another sunny place
I’m lucky, I know
But I wanna go home
Mmmm, I’ve got to go home
Let me go home
I’m just too far from where you are
I wanna come home
-Home, Michael Buble
