I can't walk home anymore.
Well, I could. But, it would take around 25 minutes, which is about the time it takes me to get across campus.
I could take the bus. I could also bike. I could even call up my friend or roommate for a ride back home.
But, that's another thing to think about as I find my way to the new and challenging classes of junior year.
Moving off campus didn't seem like a big deal at first. I was excited to get my own house and split it with some of my best friends. It wasn't too far from campus either, and rent was unbelievably cheap compared to the on-campus apartments I had lived in last year.
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However, that price cut came with some other cuts too. Getting to campus now takes a lot more time and effort, and the days where I am on campus come with a strict list of tasks I have to get done while I'm there.
It also means I won't run into my friends around campus anymore. This year, I don't have that walk from the dorm to campus to catch up with my friends.
It sounds lonely, albeit, it kind of is. Once I get home, I'm home. I don't try to find my way back out to meet my friends after 10 p.m., because then the next thing on my mind is "how do I get back?"
I also find myself disconnected with the schedules of my roommates, as all of us often don't get home at the same time and rarely cross paths.
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Finding space and time for myself comes with the hard-hitting reality that I am, in fact, becoming an adult.
It gives me time to do things on my own and take the initiative to spend time with the people I really do want to be around. My friends all have their own places now, meaning they often host hang outs — which is a new way I'm able to catch up with old friends.
Part of being a junior is realizing I have to branch out. The motivation I might need to do so is accepting that it does get a little bit lonelier as I grow up. That time allows me to explore my real interests and hobbies. It allows me to come together with my friends and share the numerous stories I experienced on my own.
I never really had that when I was constantly surrounded by my friends.
In a way, it's creating my own lifestyle as I mature.
So, maybe I can't walk home anymore. That's OK. On the bright side, I could take the bus. It does get me home faster. I could bike. There's some exercise and it's speedy. I could call my friend up for a ride. That's a potential hang out.
There's other ways of getting home too. But for now, I think I'm satisfied with the options I have.
Editor's note: The opinions presented in this insight are the author's and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
Edited by Kasturi Tale, Senna James and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at gachatht@asu.edu.
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Gokul Achaththekoot is a junior majoring in actuarial science at ASU. He is involved with on-campus sketch comedy, and enjoys learning more about the community and culture of ASU. This is his 5th semester at The State Press, having served on The Echo as a part-time reporter in all his semesters here.
