What Was Once Lost is Now Found: How I Regained the Feeling of Comfort and Security in a New Place

Throughout my life, I have been what one could call a “sheltered child.” I was raised in a stable home with loving parents, three siblings, and everything I could ever need. My family took care of me and I found comfort in this safe and happy environment. This is how the past eighteen years of my life has been, but a few months ago everything changed: I moved off to college. Living on campus at Lamar University has definitely been a drastic change from my childhood in a comfortable home. I have had to deal with the struggles of living on my own and adjusting to this new environment. From the day I moved in, I was faced with problems that were completely new to me. I had to organize and move everything in my dorm on my own, rely on myself for food, and I even had the worry of making new friends and meeting the roommate I would have to spend the next year with. All of this was mind-blowing to me;  I had been taken care of my whole life, but now I was sent off on my own into this big wondrous world with little to build off of. What would I do? How could I regain the comfort and security I once had?

             

The answers to these questions took me a while to figure out, but a few weeks into my time here, I came up with a solution: I needed make this new place my own. The comfort I enjoyed throughout my childhood was given to me by my family, but now it was my turn. I needed to give myself the comfort, security, and confidence I once had so I venture towards a successful future. Though there were not many things I could do around campus to help with this problem, the one place I knew I could manipulate to my liking was my dorm. In my little twelve foot by ten foot room, I could do whatever I wanted to make things just as comfortable as my life at home. I decorated the room with the things that made me happy. I covered the walls of my room with joyful pictures of family and friends, and posters of activities I enjoyed, like tennis or studying history. I decorated my desk with pictures of my lovely girlfriend, and put a few of my favorite books and movies on my shelf. Along with the bright colors of my sheets, a comfortable chair to relax in, and all kinds of tennis stuff, I made this once barren room all my own: my personal escape. Now, at the end of a long tough day, I can whisk away to this comfortable and safe environment, sit in my chair, read a good book, and get away from all of the stresses of college. This room has become my home away from home and has, once again, given me the comfort and safety I cherish.

       

My escape from the struggles of college.

 At the beginning of this semester, I was mourning the loss of the comfort and security of my childhood home. I felt alone, and I could not figure out what to do about this dilemma. This semester turned course when I decided to obtain the comfort I was looking for by making it myself. Since then my dorm has become my sanctuary, the place I can go to get away from stress and relax in the presence of the things that I love. Even though I left behind my loved ones and the things I found comfort in back home, I no longer feel alone. With my regained comfort and security, I have found the drive to live life just as I once had and head into the future with the same courage and confidence that led me to college in the first place.