Homewrecker

Oh Dorm Life

 The inside of the dorms were the complete opposite of the outside. Rustic Victorian- looking buildings made up the student housing, inside it was like stepping into brand new 21st century apartments. Everything was compact with narrow hallways that led the way to spacious rooms, not knowing what exactly to expect with every turn. As soon as you walked in, a big hall with two staircases on the side were in view. A small round table with a vase of flowers stood in the middle of the room, with wooden floors making it feel very welcoming and home feeling. Hung in the middle of the staircases was a sign that read “WELCOME BACK”. I pulled the housing arrangements out of my pocket to see where I’d been placed.

After a long walk up the stairs, and several corner turns filled with “do you know where the east wing is?” I’d finally found my room. It felt like I’d been walking around a labyrinth the whole time. My parents had left me to go check into their hotel, which was about a 20-minute drive off campus, in the center of Oxford. So I was alone with my two suitcases and backpack. I let everything go as soon as I stepped through the door. An overwhelming pressure had been lifted off my hands and shoulders. A petite brunette stood in the further corner of the room, arranging what seemed like comforter over her bed. If I hadn’t known she was my roommate I would’ve been scared to death of seeing a random person just standing in the room. I cleared my throat and she jumped right up.

“I’m sorry I didn’t see you there. I’m Elizabeth, you must be Florence?”

“Elizabeth Arden right?”

“Yes, nice to meet you. I’m so excited we get to be roommates this year”

“Likewise, we’re taking the same major so I guess we have a lot in common!”

Elizabeth and I started gushing over girly things and our excitement of moving to England. I found out she was from Greece, but had studied abroad in Florida for two years before graduating. She had two younger siblings, and had lived in 5 different countries before moving to college. We talked about wanderlust and eventually discussed how we wanted to go to Paris before the year was over. See the Christmas lights around the city and take every step toward the top of the world, or well the Eiffel tower. Nicknames concluded our conversation before we headed to the freshmen mixer. Ellie and I had gotten ready about two hours before. Hoping the night climate wouldn’t be too hard to handle, I stepped out of the room in maroon pants, a black button up blouse carefully tucked into them with a black blazer paired to keep me warm, and some nude wedges to keep it dressier.

The night was somewhat windy but not intolerable in comparison to fall in New York. Rocky paths were tricky to walk on, but they were the quickest way to get to the building where the mixer was being held. I didn’t know what to expect of the night, my biggest goal however, was to make new friends. After all, what is college without friends? I really don’t want to know, but I guess it would just be completely boring. I was still really jetlagged, but the best way to get used to the time difference was to keep on the new time schedule.

Oxford during the fall was a contrast to how it looked last spring when I’d visited. Back then, the trees were barely colorful and looked almost dead, recovering from the harsh winter that had struck on them. You could feel the humidity in the air, and just prayed your hair wouldn’t turn all Afro. Autumn gave the atmosphere of the campus a 360º turn. Yellow, orange, and red leaves took over the green color summer had given the place. With every step I took, a crunch escaped from the ground, leaving a crushed leaf behind. A small amount of fog escaped my mouth whenever I sighed or let a word out. Fall had started to set in and it was time to break the scarves and fireplaces free.

During the twenty-minute walk to the hall, I wish I’d brought a scarf, gloves, and maybe even a parka along with me. With every inch I moved I convinced myself that I would die of hypothermia right there and then. Maybe not so exaggeratedly, but the cold kept progressing and taking over every inch my little body was made up of. When we finally reached the room, I thought about doing a little victory dance, and then I decided against it. I didn’t want to be the weird freshman that scared everyone on orientation night and messed up any chances of having friends. That wouldn’t be a very big benefit to unknown reputation here, and I wasn’t willing to risk it.