By Vivian Yang
“Is this home now?” I ask bluntly.
“Yes.” She responds nonchalantly, then after a long pause says, “temporary home.”
Looking around, all I see is cold furniture and empty promises. In this very moment, I begin to form a meaning around home.
The word temporary accompanies me for a very long time. That feeling of cold, plain, and empty; it sticks. However, one extraordinary afternoon, two girls begin to add warmth into what feels like a frigid life.
“Hey guys, wait up!” I scream across the street.
The girls turn around, their smiles are radiant like the sunlight.
“Hello!” The tall one cups her hands around her mouth and shouts back.
“Want to hang out this weekend?” I impulsively shoot the question.
“Yes! We live right here, come knock on the door anytime,” the shorter girl points to an apartment on the second floor.
My heart is practically flapping its wings and fighting its way out of my chest.
The two girls I met at the school bus stop, Bella, and Sophia, become a beacon of light in my adjustment to American life.
Fast forward to my fourth temporary home. The upstate snowfall has no intention of melting the ice around my heart. However, everything changes in the beginning of my sophomore year as I meet Richard.
“Hey! I’m Richard, a brother of Delta Sigma Pi. Welcome to the information session,” he says, bringing the warmest energy.
I reply briefly, attempting to hide my shyness.
“So, why did you want to come out for DSP?” he asks.
My guts told me to be sincere.
“To be honest, I hope to find people I can rely on and call family,” I reply softly with the last bit of courage I have left.
His smile lingers; it reminds me of Bella and Sophia’s. In this moment I knew this was going to be home—a place that is warm.
Vivian Yang is a Junior at Syracuse University dual-majoring in Advertising and Finance while also completing a Fashion and Beauty Communications Milestone. She spent ten years in Chengdu, China, and now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. She spent this past summer interning in NYC as a copywriter. She hopes to one day pursue a creative career at an advertising agency. Some of her interests include curating Spotify playlists, reading self-help books, indulging in retail therapy, and writing about everything.
