Being back in Boston for thanksgiving brought back all sorts of memories that I had sort of forgotten. Most especially I remembered how much being in college changed my life, and more specifically, how much Emerson changed my life. Although I had been to 2 schools before Emerson, something about the transition across the country and being around seriously creative people had such a huge effect on who I became, it's not even funny. I met some of the greatest, most interesting people I know while living in Boston, and not all of them were students at Emerson now that I think about it. They know who they are.
I started off my college career at my backup backup school. Some people don't know that USC was actually my first choice, but unfortunately, that's a pretty darn hard school to get into, and on the whole, I had good grades but I was a more or less average student. In the long run I'm thankful because at a school of 30,000 students, I feel one tends to become lost. At Emerson, I was one of 4,000. I saw the same faces everyday and I had the same professors for more than one class. I felt that I was really a part of the student body. And I love living in a metropolitan area. I had tried a college town school (Western Washington University) and don't get me wrong, the school is great, but not for me. Even now I go to Hunter, which essentially has the same plan as Emerson; three tall buildings at a single intersection. That's basically it. And it's awesome.
I left Seattle without much of an idea of what was going to happen in Boston. I knew nobody. I'd only visited once, and that was after I had decided it was Emerson or nothing. It was sheer dumb luck that I was accepted, I hadn't applied for transfer anywhere else. I'm not sure what I would have done had I not gotten in. That might be the single greatest thing that changed my life in terms of my future. I don't even know what kind of shit job I might have right now. I would never have met the people in Boston I know and love. I wouldn't be in New York, making the most of this city.
I'm a west coaster at heart, and I will always return to Seattle. It's where I feel most comfortable and where I will spend the rest of my days. But Boston is where I really found myself, and I realize that it's almost necessary to leave what you know in order to find out who you are. That includes all parts of my life. I understand more about what I enjoy doing, what my political leanings are, how I love and lust, how I dress, how I interact with people and everything under the sun. I can stand up for myself better, I walk down the street in the middle of the night without thinking twice because I know I can defend myself. I talk to strangers on the subway because I know I have something to offer a conversation. I do things I never thought I was capable of because I'm stronger than ever.
I love Seattle for what it will always be in me. I love Boston for what it gave me. I love New York City for what it is showing me.
Add to Your Playlist:
"All For You" by Sister Hazel
"Catch My Disease" by Ben Lee
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