September 11th. This day will forever stick in my head, not the day in 2001 but the day in 2010. This was the day I became independent. This was the day I finally moved out of my parents house and moved into First Year Halls. I still remember the first time I walked into Geddes Court, the first time I saw my future best friend, the first thing Rachel Moss, my future 'Fag Hag', ever said to me, the first time I thought 'Wow this carpet is horrendous' but most importantly I remember the first time I ever saw my father cry.
Not only was this one of the most amazing days in my life it was also going to be very challenging day. I had to leave the house that I had grew up in for 18 years, the family that became friends, the street that became a neighbourhood, the High School that became a family, the work that became a social life, the friends that became my life, the town that became a city, I had to leave home. I remember the week before I left, it was filled with tears and sorrow but also of hope for the future and the many times I said 'Don't worry I will see you at Christmas'. Leaving home was the hardest thing I have ever done.
How could a building that was built on designs of a Swedish Prison become my new home? How could this city ever compare to the one I grew up in? How was I going to live in such a tiny room? How was I going to share a bathroom, a kitchen and a shower with 17 other people? I never knew how I ever coped with any of this but I did and I loved it.
I have lost count of the times I have sat and cried in my room and wanted nothing more than to go home and to sleep in my own bed and hug my mother. Since coming here in September I have been home twice and at times I wished it was more. But at the same time I wish it was less, at Christmas I made my mum bring me back early because I missed the place so much.
I will admit some of the people in this building drive me to insanity and I would happily never speak to some of them ever again. Others I hope to never lose touch with and I hope they will be a huge part of my life for years to come. And the rest? Sadly I never got the pleasure to meet them, but there is still three years left to meet them. Eventually Geddes didn't just become 'that building where I live' it soon became 'home' and so did everyone in it, even the ones I did hate. Yes I never got off to the best of starts with people and there are still a few I will never get on well with but that is all part of the 'Ghetto Life'. Living here has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life but like that first day it was one of the most challenging experiences I have had to deal with.
Leaving Geddes is a very Bitter/Sweet moment for me; I cannot wait for the life of me to get home have a nice hot bath, annoy my mother as to what she is making for dinner and just get away from every single one of them for three months, I will miss every single one of them, my best friends, the people I hate and even those I never got to love or hate, I will truly miss them all.
Now before I start to cry any more as I write this I will leave the people of Geddes (and anyone else reading) with two things. First of all the best of luck to everyone in their exams and I hope you all have an amazing summer and I am sure I will see you all walking about uni next year looking just as lost and confused as we did this year, and finally these lyrics which just seem to capture that bitter/sweet feeling, but also, with a sense of hope for the future added in.
Been a long day, on my way
To my holy place to pray
Give thanks for every blessing given to me
I know there's more to see, more to me
No more living in misery
'Cause this is how I visioned life to be
Searched high and low, so close yet so far to go
I just know there's a sunny day
Who'd ever thought that I would see this day
Where I would see my ghetto life fade away
'Cause I was lost and couldn't find a way
And now I look forward to every day
Welcome to my sunny day!
This not the end, it is only the beginning of a whole new life.
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