In Those Times When I Miss Home

The evil monster has set foot in Oberlin and yes, it is called "Midterms." This monster comes at a very unfortunate time in Oberland, when the Oberlin Plague has hit the students on campus causing many causalities, classes have intensified, and the feeling of homesickness is overbearing. How can the Oberlinians get through this tide of awfulness? Well, we each have different ways of dealing with this monster and other issues.

I was hit with the Oberlin plague, which wasn't that bad for me. I was trying my hardest to go to bed by 9 pm every night, so I worked very hard every day and studied for my classes. So, being sick has improved my success in my classes and given me a stronger sense of discipline that I had been lacking for the entire week of September. Now, I am just missing home.

Home for me means many things. Chicago is my heart, the south side is my brain, but my family is my soul. My soul soars when I smell my father or mother cooking my favorite dishes, like chicken chili with great northern beans and southern style gumbo. My soul vibrates with laughter when I am arguing with my oldest sister over the smallest of things. My soul misses practicing hapkido with my little brother, who is a black belt. My soul is craving to bake with my little brother the most. Don't get me wrong, I love cooking — it's necessary for life — but baking is my little secret that I get to indulge in every once in a while.

There is something so seductive about melting chocolate and watching it being drizzled over brownies. There is something so appealing about watching cupcakes rise while they are still in the oven. There is something that never gets old about the golden brown tint around the edges of cookies. There is a homely feeling when you smell a mix of cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla that can light any soul on fire. Most times when I bake, I just do it for fun — I can't even eat everything that I create due to my various dietary restrictions (which is another blog post) — I just pass everything off to my family. I take pride in my baking and I want to get better at it. So, I will be baking when I go home for fall break, and I have plenty of ideas. Enjoy the following inspirational pictures:

I don't know which idea I will choose, but when I finally create my masterpiece I will be sure to share it with you all. Time to conquer that midterm monster.