Free at Last

As the car turned onto campus, Rob looked out the window at the town which would soon be his home. He was excited to be dropped off at university. It was going to be the first time he would be living on his own, away from his parents. Looking down at the map on his phone, he gave his dad directions to the dorm building. When they arrived, Rob got out of the car and went to the dorm’s office to register and get the key to the room. 

When it was time to unload the car, Rob realized that he had taken almost all of his possessions, as well as some things he had purchased for his dorm. He looked at the piles of clothes and shoes and sighed thinking about how long it would take him to organize his closet. He grabbed the microwave and a mini fridge and placed them in a cart he would use to roll them to his room.

After an hour of unloading, it was time to say goodbye to his parents. In just a few moments, he would experience the freedom of living on his own for the first time in his life. Trying to hide his excitement, he hugged his parents and wished them a safe drive home. He waved as the car drove off.

He turned back to walk to his dorm, but unlike before, now he noticed all of the trees that surrounded him. Having been born and raised in a big city, being in a small university town was a big change for him. He looked around and realized there weren’t many people around him. Strange, he thought, being used to the hustle and bussel of a city.

His heart began to beat faster the more he took in his environment. All he could think about was how the trees had replaced the high rises he was used to. Have I made a mistake?, he thought while momentarily considering calling his parents to take him back home. He took a few breaths to calm himself down. He walked to his dorm which seemed smaller than what he remembered from only a few minutes before. He sat on his bed and closed his eyes reminding himself of the excitement he had felt about being free from his parents at last. When he opened his eyes again, he still felt nervous, but better.