Chasing the Wind

A NYU Experience

The beautiful fall colors fluttered in the leaves all around the campus. The smell of fall was unmistakable as Sabrina made her way through the bustling city. At least that was a comforting reminder of home. Autumn in Iowa meant corn mazes, apple picking, hay rides, pumpkin carving and much more. She had suffered through the stiff summer stench and heat of New York City since moving in late July, but now it was October.

Sabrina was finally getting settled into her school/work/home routine, but still she had time to be homesick. The idea was that since she grew up in a college town this move wouldn't be so difficult. At least that's what she told herself and others when they all showed utter shock at her decision. Unfortunately, she had failed to consider the population of 60,000 in Ames, Iowa versus the 8 million in NYC. Still, the attendance rate was similar to Iowa State University, which made her feel an ounce of comfort in the grand scheme of things.

As she strode on the sidewalk her eyes shifted towards a squirrel running across the dying grass in a patch ahead. He was obviously on a mission, but for a moment it was as if he felt her eyes on him and he stopped to stare. He cleaned his nose with his tiny paws and kept on scurring through the lawn. Cute. Hopefully he would find enough food for winter. Who was she kidding, the rats were known for eating well in this city. That squirrel would have more options than a Chinese buffet.

Washington Square Park was a campus staple. It had quickly become Sabrina's favorite place to study. A touch of nature surrounded by chaos and concrete. It was easily one of the most active spots on a good day, and on a rainy day she was one who walked the paths just the same.

The sun behind the clouds was heading west for the evening. Much earlier than she would have wished for, but then again the early nights, cooler weather, and gorgeous colors gave a sense of normalcy to this new life.

Alumni Hall was her residency package of choice, which was only a 10 minute walk from the square. God, she dreamt of passing out on her jersey sheets. Soft and warm, unlike the wind that was getting stronger by the minute. Work and school was already draining her. The classes weren't particularly difficult, but certainly time consuming. Time was something she always felt short on. It felt like all she did was eat, work, study, sleep, and repeat in various orders.

As she was day dreaming of a hot ham and cheese she almost strode right past her building. Quickly making a turn she pulled out her ID badge from her purse and accessed the lobby. In a zombie-like trance she let her head sit empty as she rode the elevator up in silence.

Opening her bedroom door she felt a flood of relief at seeing her temple. A crowd of small plants covered her windowsill, nightstand, dresser, floor corners, study table, etc. The walls were plain. The room generally lacked decoration apart from a single photo of her grandmother when she was young and a blue rug in the middle of the cold, tile floor.

Taking off her shoes at the door she allowed her backpack to slump to the ground. First thing first was changing into house clothes and slippers. Her mother had always made her change from "outside clothes" on the basis they were dirty. It was the singular anal tendency that had been passed on to Sabrina. The clothing change was just one of many cleanliness related issues her mother had, but it was the only one that did not drive Sabrina crazy. It was a way to leave the world behind and settle into her happy place. Feeling comfortable on the outside released her inner tension.

Grabbing a cliff bar and a bag of chips from a drawer in her dresser, Sabrina sat on her twin bed, trying to find a YouTube video to watch. She couldn't be bothered with committment today. No cooking, no Netflix. Cooking meant taking the time not only to prepare her food, but also conversing with the unit mates that shared the kitchen space. They were nice enough people, but she just didn't have the energy for it. Netflix meant choosing a show or movie and seeing it through. She settled on a random video about the Siberian Forest and munched away monotonously.

Tomorrow was Thursday, which meant a lighter load. English from 8am-9:15am and then Advanced MicroEconomics 10:30am-11:45am. Work from 1pm-5pm. While she still had a few hybrid classes she was able to get the others as online only. It meant more self teaching, but also a more flexible schedule for her work. While it wasn't the most exciting job she at least felt useful by fighting the ever-rising prices of Big Pharma.

When the opportunity presented itself she couldn't say no. Her current job was procured by a family friend back home who was on the company board. This woman was so impressed by Sabrina's work ethic and knowledge she vouched for her to have room and board paid along with the Econ only classes, so long as Sabrina worked for the company during the two years she attended.

Despite the help she estimated she would still end up in 50k worth of debt, but hopefully it would be worth the experience. So far in the last two months it was a bust, but there was still three and a half more semesters to go. Maybe she'd at least have friends by then.

Playing video after video she finally broke down and made herself study for the last few hours before bed. Blinking her tired, green eyes she turned off the litte lamp on her study table and tumbled into bed, forgetting her skin routine and teeth brushing. The heaviness took over and Sabrina slipped into a sleep that she only prayed would be everlasting. In the back of her mind she dreaded the early morning to come.

She awoke to the morning light shining through the white sheer curtains she had put up. Stretching in bed she was thankful for the thick mattress topper she bought to go over that horrid dorm board they issued.

"Alright, let's do this." She reluctantly spoke to herself. She had about an hour to get ready and head to her English class.

She grabbed a towel and clothes for the day, then hopped into the shared bathroom. Thank goodness none of her room mates had morning classes or they'd have to fight for the shower. Once she finished she brushed teeth, changed, and half-dried her hair. A touch of mascara and powder to clean up the face and she was ready to hit the city all over again.

The English teacher was an older woman who had a lot of spunk, but her choice of subjects left Sabrina wanting. It was the typical, expected curriculum you'd get from a University. Books on the latest social and political movements, which Sabrina completely understood the importance of, but felt they were lacking in depth.

Her preference was something more thought provoking such as City of Thieves by David Benioff or A Separate Peace by John Knowles. Books that made you walk away and re-think your own perspective on life. Regardless, it was class and riveting reading choices weren't to be expected.

She entered the auditorium with 15 minutes to spare before class and took her usual seat in the second row on the left hand side. She got first choice as there was rarely anyone else that early. Professor Mew usually came in with a minute to spare, so this was Sabrina's time to get her notes ready and go over what the last reading assignment was. Only just as she was unloading her backpack the hall door opened just enough for a man to slip through.