Lily Hawkins: Sweet Home Al-a-hambra

DAISY PROM
Opinions Editor

Within the next four months, I will find myself surrounded by endless stretches of farmland and cow country. No, I won’t be a contestant on next season’s “Survivor”; I’ll be at a university just six hours away from my cozy Alhambra.

It’s true that NorCal isn’t so far. After all, it’s still in California. But it’s far enough that The Hat doesn’t exist up there. It’s far enough that my ring of acquaintances and friends will either be diminished to a tenth of a percent or replaced mostly with farm animals. And most importantly, it’s far enough that I won’t be able to immediately return home in cases of collegiate cold feet. I’ll be isolated, with the exception of roomies, who could be ax-murderers for all I know.

Relocating would mean relinquishing years of research compiled from simply living here. Oh, how it took eighteen years just to figure out what is the best place to go for ramen or which bus line will get me to Old Town Pasadena. All of the knowledge of my hometown will be forsaken in these new battlegrounds. How nice it would be to stay in my comfort zone that is the SGV.

But that’s not how life works. I can stand still and resist for as long as I can, but life will move on. Denying the next chapter in my life will just make me much less well-adapted when the time does come. It doesn’t do me well to fear cow dung and horseflies, so I might as well embrace everything that is this new experience. And if anything, home is a short plane ride away, so no need for panic attacks.

For now, I’ll just have to kowtow to these changes.