Coming Back to Campus
As my fall quarter came to a close, unlike many of my peers, I was ready to make a quick return to the small suburban campus we call home. I had been studying abroad in Milan, Italy for the first half of my senior year, a decision stemming from laziness in applying to the program the year prior. Being abroad was a great time, especially for a guy who loves to complain about the boredom of Santa Clara University and its surrounding area. Yet, the entire time I was gone, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of nostalgia for my first few college years. Being a senior especially, I was feeling quite sentimental about the friends I had made and the limited time I had left to share with them when I got back to campus.
After a two-week Christmas break spent in the presence of family, I hopped on a plane from St. Louis to San Jose for a sleepless flight of anticipation. My housemate picked me up from the airport and we had a relaxed weekend unpacking and seeing friends. Monday morning, I walked into campus ready to wave to familiar faces I hadn’t seen since spring, yet there was no waving to be done. On my first walk to class, I didn’t recognize a single person. Stopping by Benson for some water only furthered my unease.
The hall was packed with hoards of strangers. Having been away from campus for a few months, I was obviously prepared to be behind on a bit of school news and gossip, but what I didn’t prepare for was feeling…old. One of the only familiar faces I had seen that day, my former teacher, walked right past without recognizing me! Not only was I older than the students I passed by, but I was also old enough already to be forgotten by teachers.
Despite the initial strangeness, however, my first week back has truly satisfied the craving for nostalgia. Places like The Hut, which used to feel like just one of the very few “fun” options there were around campus, now feels a bit more special, in turn allowing me to enjoy them more. Activities like visiting a friend's radio show, which used to just feel like a low-key way to spend a weeknight, now feels like an exciting and increasingly limited experience. Being abroad certainly allowed me to appreciate many sights outside of Santa Clara University, but at the end of the day, it really taught me how much I already appreciate the life I’ve been able to create over the last four years.