OIT: A Short Story

My first week at OIT was rough. The physical environment was alien, my emotions were like a rollercoaster, and I had trouble with my friend groups. Luckily the best therapy was time. My home was one thing that never changed in my life. I lived in the same house since I was one-year-old. I know that house like I built it. Moving into my own room, five far hours away, was a freaky idea. On campus I was immediately shocked by the crisp wind chill whipping off Klamath lake. I was fascinated by the sidewalks that maneuvered across the grass quads between buildings. Hiking up to “The O” at night yielded a view of the city glowing I had never had such undisturbed access to. The night sky swarmed with stars. Inside the Residence Hall was an environment all its own. I recall opening the door to my dorm for the first time. My parents standing behind me. The first thing I noticed were the dark brown wardrobe closets on both sides of the door reaching from the dark blue carpet to uneven ceiling tiles. The bed was about a foot and a half off the ground; a stark change from my bed at home that wouldn’t let my feet touch the ground when sitting off the edge. A wood desk in the corner with four drawers; that would be the location where I produce my best work. Ever since my parents said goodbye I easily get sad when I glance at something in my room that provokes a memory with my family. The distance from home conjured up a feeling of homesickness I had not experienced since I was young. The type of home sickness that chokes your throat and twists your stomach. I craved one more hug from my parents like it was a drug. In my first week I had already decided that I would never take a job or buy a house too far from my parents. I wasn’t going to subject myself to the pain for the rest of my life. I was crushed in the grasp of depression. I worked hard …show more content…
Each family had about fourteen people in it. I remembered my sister telling me how she met all her best friends in her orientation in college. I was excited to have a group I could confide to. The excitement was short lived. On day two I was the only person in my family to show up to the breakfast and scavenger hunt. I completed the scavenger hunt alone, which epitomized how I felt. The next day, another scavenger hunt in downtown Klamath was planned. Shockingly, I was the only person from my family to show up, again. Desperate, I talked to another group and explained my situation. I was relieved when they offered to adopt me into their family. That was a turning point when things started to improve for me. My second family actually talked to me, texted each other, and showed up for events. When orientation concluded, I was fortunate to be getting dinner at the same time as my friend from high school, Tyler Hieb, who I hadn’t seen yet. He hadn’t participated in any orientation events because he plays for the OIT basketball team. Talking to him was a brief antidote. Conversing with Tyler, a known commodity, was a break from the constant introductions and surface level conversations. Tyler doesn’t know it, but he helped me feel a lot