From West to East Coast

By KRYSTA GUINEY-OLSEN

“Why would you come to Mary Wash?” That is the first question people ask me when they learn that I’m from Reno, Nev.

After four years, I have my answer memorized. I wanted to go to the east coast, find a good science program, and live on a beautiful campus.

Mallory Somerset, a senior from California, has her answer memorized as well. She wanted to get away and experience a different atmosphere. She, however, has been waiting for someone from her high school to join her at Mary Washington. I don’t talk about this in my why-I-came-to-Mary-Wash answer, but I enjoy walking down Campus Walk and knowing I won’t see anyone from home.

I almost never get homesick. Most of my family has migrated to this coast and I have developed a life here. Sometimes it would be nice to have home only a drive away though. When my grandma got sick last winter I wasn’t able to go see her right away. I had to wait for a school break to be able to get out there. When Somerset had to attend a funeral last year, she said she was only in California, a total of 36 hours because of the travel.

It takes at least a day and a half total to travel to the west coast. This makes it difficult to go home for the short breaks, like Thanksgiving. Luckily, since most of my family lives here now, we can arrange to have Thanksgiving at my mom’s condo in North Carolina. My brother and his wife from New York City drove down to pick me up on the way. My dad, other brother and sister-in-law flew out from Nevada to meet up with us.

Senior Andrew Frisk, also from California, said he never goes home for Thanksgiving break.

“It is too far and I generally just get together with my relatives out here,” Fisk said.

He has family in D.C., which he said is nice for the small breaks when he can’t go home.

We all miss the West coast. It was home for 18 years, and, at times, it’s difficult to be so far away. However, I have developed a life here, and I wouldn’t give that up for anything in the world.