By Rayana Petrone – 1851 Contributor 

 Rayana Petrone outside of the Lasell University campus.
Photo by Kathryn Gaudet.

The day was September 6, 2019, my freshman year move in day at Lasell University. To be entirely honest, this is a day that I do not remember in much depth. The details of my first day on campus are quite hazy, I could not tell you what I ate, or the last words I said to my siblings before leaving home. I experienced a rollercoaster of emotions that prevented me from remembering such an important day such as anxiousness, and excitement.

I do remember loading up my mom’s SUV and dad’s white Chevy Colorado truck with everything in my big purple bedroom that I spent the majority of my life in. Saying goodbye to my fluffy three month old, goldendoodle puppy named Beni and seeing my bare bedroom brought tears to my eyes.

My parents stayed to move me in until the late summer day was consumed by darkness and my new room was put together. Everything in my new space felt foreign. My sheets felt crisp and not worn in like my cozy like my sheets at home are. I stared at the ceiling that night and my body was engulfed with emotion. I was looking forward to a fresh start, but was also sad that I left everything I had ever known behind. I lived in Worcester, Massachusetts my entire life, and associated that with my identity, so being away from my home and my family honestly terrified me.

In the beginning of the semester, I truly struggled with being away from home, so much so that my parents visited at least once a week for the first four weeks. Luckily, Worcester is only 35 minutes away and my family is more than willing to come visit.

Prior to coming to college, it was very easy for me to take advantage of the simple things that my parents have always done for me such as making food, and washing my clothes. Since leaving home, I have learned that dinner is not just going to appear for me as it did at home and I have to force myself to go to the dining hall to eat and my clothes, unfortunately, are not going to magically clean themselves. With that being said, since college, my relationship with my parents has drastically changed, which I have learned to love and embrace.

Since being away from home, I have become much more independent and comfortable with the idea of being on my own. I am finding myself in a community that is vastly different than the one I know and love, and am excited to continue on my journey of self discovery. I am studying communications, a field that I am excited to learn more about and explore further.

As of now, I am much happier and eager for my future here at Lasell. I cannot wait to continue to become more involved here and find my true passions and grow through experience.