The Pros and Cons of Coming Back from Abroad

After being abroad and out of the country for a semester, coming back to Kenyon involves a whole new type of culture shock. Beyond the obvious–the campus is tiny and we live out in the middle of nowhere–readjusting to the daily grind can be a struggle, but it’s worth it to be back!

We (Celia and Katie) each decided that there are both pitfalls and perks of returning to campus after being abroad. Celia has decided to share the cons of returning to Kenyon, although she still loves being back and Katie has decided to remind everyone that no matter how amazing our abroad experiences were, we chose Kenyon for a reason.

1. PeirceCelia: The first time I went to lunch at noon was, to say the least, overwhelming. Talk about seeing everyone you know and about 500 people you don’t know (freshmen). After a semester of home cooked meals (courtesy of my host mom, the world’s best chef) that were served on the table, I’m still trying to regain competency and confidence in navigating my way through the servery. It takes skill to weave in and out of people to get to the cutlery and calls for quick decisions: is the pasta worth the 10-minute wait or should I settle for whatever they’re serving at Vegetarian?Katie: Despite the often stressful environment, it is extremely relieving to know that there will ALWAYS be “free” food for you to eat. While abroad I had to cook all of my own meals and often ended up eating alone before meeting up with friends or going to an event. I had to allocate time and money each week to walk the mile to the grocery store and buy enough food for two to three homemade meals per day. At Kenyon, many of my meetings take place during Common Hour or at dinnertime and I know that I can always find someone, however random, to sit with while I eat. I am also no longer wasting money each week on caffeine at coffee shops because I can always run to Peirce in between my morning classes for a cup of coffee and cereal to go. 
2. Dorm lifeCelia: Not having to clean my own bathroom is great and I love my roommate, but moving all of my stuff back into a shared, one-room space is hard. I lived in a cozy house with a family and cats and I would loved nothing more than to go back. But I have to admit there’s definitely something nice about spending my Friday nights singing along to The Supremes with my roommate. This is college, after all.Katie: I lived in a twenty person townhouse with a shared kitchen and two living rooms while I was abroad. Although I loved my housemates and miss them so much already, it is still nice to be back in a dorm. My Caples’ single is my sanctuary, a place that I primarily use for sleep and late-night snacking. But I love wandering through Hanna on my way to the Archon Lounge or visiting friends in Bushnell because I see both new and old faces in every hallway I pass. 
3. Living in a villageCelia: Copenhagen isn’t a  huge city, but the fact that it has restaurants, bars, movie theaters (and, ya know, stoplights) sets it far apart from Gambier. Readjusting to this 600 acre village is hard in some ways because it feels more isolated than ever; public transportation is non-existent and “going out” means walking a few hundred feet to someone’s apartment.Katie: Although I miss living in a bustling city, I am thrilled to be back on the hill. While having movies, pubs, live music, and an infinity of restaurants at my disposal was amazing, it was also expensive. At Kenyon I can catch Casablanca at The Gund Gallery, get a drink at an All-Campus, hear a new band at The Horn and make my own Peirce concoctions without spending a dime. For the most part, everywhere I go and every person I want to see is at most a fifteen-minute walk away from where I am and I will run into most people I need to talk to at some point throughout the day. I have traded in my clubbing heels and dresses for my Timberlands and fleece-lined tights, for comfort both internally and externally are highly valued in Gambier

Sure, we may differ on our opinions of certain aspects about coming back to school. But, despite our fantastic abroad experiences and the culture shock of being back in America, being at Kenyon is being home, and there’s nothing better than that.