A LETTER TO MOVING AWAY
BY GABRIELLE CABANES PHOTOS BY PROVIDED
The last few weeks have made me reflect a lot about moving away from home. Ohio University is only a brief hour and 15 minutes away from my house in Columbus, making it quite easy to come home whenever I have a bad week or simply want to see my family. This semester, however, my life plans are taking me elsewhere. I am leaving Ohio to intern in Washington D.C. for the upcoming 2024 elections. Although many students travel thousands of miles across the world for their study-away experience, any change in pace, no matter how relatively close to home, is frightening. This is the first time I will undoubtedly be far away from home.
The last few weeks have held a lot of firsts. This has been my first time buying business clothes for an internship. My mom and I scoured the racks at Marshalls and J. Crew Factory for any sales on business pants and loafers. I tried my best to study the restaurants and shops surrounding my new apartment with a mere search on Google Maps. One block away from Sweetgreen there's an Italian restaurant across the street. I’m probably going to need to take the metro when I go to Trader Joe’s, though. Got it. These experiences alone have made me realize how imminent my full transition into adulthood feels. After all, a diploma is not the only way to make a milestone feel real. Despite this, I feel so excited to welcome this new chapter of my life. A brief preview into the future I aspire to hold, this semester will be about growth. I feel so lucky to have a beautiful group of friends and family to surround me on this new journey. My sense of wonder continues to grow every day and although I am not oblivious to the fact that this semester will hold its challenges, and, let's face it, probably a lot of late nights, I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me. I cannot wait to take on Washington D.C.
