As I sit here reflecting on my week and plan my festivities for the coming weekend, I can’t help but think about how amazing today has been. First, I must put this Friday evening into the perspective of this week. It started with a normal Monday schedule of classes, food, homework, and a nap somewhere in between. Then Mother Nature happened. Snow and ice began to fall from the sky collecting on the ground into large white mounds – ergo, no school Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
This “snowpocalypse” was not the first of its kind but indeed the second in the last couple of weeks. Obviously, as one would expect, I was quite excited to be out of class for a midweek weekend, but as I look back I realize that not having class was the least of my excitement. I am especially proud and grateful for the moments I spent with the people here at Emory. With virtually nothing in the area open for business and roads iced over, your options were to either suffer through cabin fever or you make the most of the time you had with those around you. The latter is precisely what I did.
I had the opportunity to spend countless hours talking to people I thought were so different, so foreign to me. I found so much of myself in these strangers. Not necessarily in our specific experiences or even our studies, but simply in our humor, interests, and frame of mind. Every day here I feel as if I’m becoming more and more invested in and a part of the Emory community. My community. Honestly, that’s what I love about being here.
At first it seemed so challenging to feel included here, but I’ve realized that my approach was entirely wrong. I was striving to be a part of a greater, much grander community. I was neglecting the smaller communities to which I now belong. I see now that these little communities are what make up the Emory community at large. This has been one of the paramount discoveries of my tenure as a student here. I have truly grown to love my community.
I hope you all enjoyed a love-filled Valentines Day and that you make and take the time to find out what there is to love about your own community.