~~~~~ This is a fictional story. ~~~~~
It was the best time of my life.
I said goodbyes to my parents & good friends, boarding the plane all alone, to an unknown new world.
To my surprise, I did not miss parents, friends and hometown that much. I was overwhelmed with excitement.
I was so glad to be finally out of reach of my over-protective parents, no need to be bothered by their arguments, their problems, their teachings, their standards…
I was looking forward to living alone, having my own living space, taking full control of my life, my time, my everything.
I was not a popular kid in school, may be even mildly bullied… I was not smart nor active. I was shy and lack of confidence… but all that didn’t matter anymore. I was ready to start a new page.
In this new world, nobody knew me. I could be a totally different person. I would try to be who I wanted to be. I’ve always dreamed to be this outgoing, smart, funny and confident kid…
I came to this campus, this dormitory. Everything looked interesting and fresh. Everybody looked friendly and cool. I was so happy. I loved my dorm room. It’s my own world. I had my favourite posters all over the wall, dolls, makeup & cute decorations all over the place.
My first dorm had an “open” shower room. There were no partitions nor curtains, but many shower heads on the walls. I couldn’t help but peeked at the perfect beach body and the petite tattoo on the ankle of some unknown girl.
Until high school, I always had a fixed time schedule. I wore uniforms to school every morning. Life was boring and full of studies… but college was not!
I could choose my own classes & time schedule. In between classes, I sometimes hanged out at bookstore or canteen with friends, sometimes i worked part-time on campus. Sometimes I finished my classes early, then I took a bus to the shopping mall in the afternoon, or went to bar or parties with friends at night.
I once had this coolest part-time job in the school coffee shop. It was at the basement of the administration building, so very few customers & relaxing in the afternoon. I was the only one overlooking this spacious coffee shop most of the time.
I loved the smell of Espresso beans & soft music at the background. There was a security guy who always came by and ordered a triple shot of espresso. Most of my customers were nice and gave me good tips.
There were almost 20 types of syrup lining up at the counter from A to Z. I loved to try & mix different syrup into my own coffee. My favorite drink was the malt shake, which is mixing vanilla ice-cream, milk and chocolate malt balls. It was absolutely rich and delicious!
As shy as I was, I became an MC in many school events. I got my driving license, and I got a part-time job in the shopping mall. I moved off campus to my own apartment. I got scholarships and graduated. I started working, ran marathons and travelled to various countries ever since… but I never forget my first step.
To this day, I still miss my college life from time to time. It changed me and shaped me. I lost the silliness, but I also lost the youth. If I could go back to college time again, I might have done it differently.
~~~~~ The End ~~~~~