The Ultimate Setback

Alice,

This was the time that everything turned out for the worst.

It started when I entered the campus.

The university was so beautiful. I can only imagine what life I'm going to live if I officially entered the campus for the start of the formal classes. I was overjoyed by the people, I mean students, passing by, making their ways for their classes, and some, nothing to do but wait until something happens to them. It was really a blast seeing the university with my own naked eyes and looking forward to meeting these students personally and making new friends. I was thrilled to see the university's own cheering squad practice and showing their moves to the new people and especially to me. Indeed, entering the university for the first time made me realize that I'm here for two purposes, to study so hard that I've never study before and to graduate proudly with an honorable degree that I really deserve. However, this was only the beginning for the new chapter of my life. I realized also that it's not easy being here in the city and living like this. I may have to re-think the whole thing of why I'm really here.

Some of you and our ex-classmates are going to college and live in dormitories and boarding houses. Others may also live with their relatives and maybe bringing their families together to college. That's where I belong. I'm staying here in the city with my relatives. One from the side of my mother and other for my father. The only problem is that they're letting me choose on where to live. I like to live on both of the houses that my relatives are living at. My sister told me that it's better to stay at the house of the sister of my father because for her, it’s really quiet there where you can study and no one can distract you. However, if I live there, it’s like I'm in a prison where there's no fun and all you have to do is to study and study until you can't take anymore the quietness of the place that you want to get out and hang out with your friends. Not to mention the distance from this house to university, which makes it harder for me to comprehend everyday.

On my side, I would rather choose to live at the house of the sister of my mother because there, it’s like the complete opposite of what I've described earlier. There, it so much fun because everyday, there's no day that will be dull because of my younger relative to lighten up everyone's day. Also, the university is just a jeepney ride away, which makes it more convenient that the school is really near. Sadly, I can't concentrate on my studies because of the noise and all the distractions which make it more difficult to study and to do my homework and everything that's school-based work. I can still hang out with my friends but they set a time limit on how long I'm going to be out unlike the other house, you inform them and they just approve automatically without setting any condition. As long you get home, its fine with them.

I really had a hard time deciding on where to live. Whether I'm living with my aunt on my mother's side or on my father's side, I'm still going to live like this, transferring from one place to another just for the sake of living to different lives. One that's quiet and serene and another that's lively and uncontrollable. But whatever my decision is going to be, my family still has to respect my decision. What's important is that I've experienced myself living two separate lives and making my choice on where to stay for the rest of my life. I'm a growing adult, and someday, they're going to let me go, no matter how hard it is for them to let me go and live my own life without them. Whatever decisions that I make, I know that it's for my own good and also for the good of my own family.

How is your college life going, Alice?

Nathaniel