Making a New “Family”

As the emotions of being in a new environment and the hassles of administrative paperwork settle, life is slowly becoming a routine. And now that I have more time to lie back and contemplate my thoughts instead of running around campus getting papers signed by various departments, I’m beginning to miss my family back home.

I play back the scene of my departure over and over in my mind before I go to bed these days. I remember turning around just as I cleared the immigration counter and saw my mother starting to cry. I’ve never seen my mother cry before; but then again, I have never left my mother before either. I tried really hard not to cry in the plane as I didn’t want the person sitting next to me to see that I was crying, but the tears just kept coming anyway.

I guess that’s why we have friends, and they are to be our substitute “family.” I am really lucky to have many friends right here at IU. They keep me from having lunches and dinners by myself. They provide me with an outlet to express my opinions and concerns, just like a family would.

I have mentioned this time and again that the people at IU are the friendliest people I’ve ever encountered. And though they cannot directly take the place of my family, they are the perfect substitutes and make my life at IU a thoroughly enjoyable one.