It's wonderful to be here and awful not to be there

It really is nice out here. The university is magnificent and stately. The public transportation system works and on some days, you’ll even enjoy it. Like when performers come aboard and give you a show for your change. My teachers are awesome. If they were to kick me out of the program next week, I would still come home having gained real skills that all those years of journalism practice never taught me. But, I miss home so effing much. Never mind that it’s been only 20 days. I miss the big things.  Like being secure, not having to prove myself in any way. I miss the little things like getting Hailey ready for school in the morning. I even miss things I didn’t know I liked. Like seeing black people all over the place or seeing the faces of familiar waiters. I miss not having an overwhelming variety of choices on the menu, knowing what to order, knowing what my change should be. I miss not being too tired to send checking-in texts to my friends at the end of the day. I miss home so much I can hardly speak of it. So failing to, I am going to borrow Oscar Hammerstein II’s lyrics from Allegro

It's a darn nice campus

With ivy on the walls

Friendly maples

Outside the lecture halls

A new gymnasium

A chapel with a dome~

It's a darn nice campus...

And I wish I were home!

It's a darn nice campus, 

I'm going to like it fine 

Darn cute coeds

They have a snappy line; 

Darn nice fellas, 

As far as I can tell~

It's a darn nice campus...

And I'm lonely as hell! 

It's a darn nice campus, 

With ivy on the walls, 

Friendly maples

Outside the lecture halls

I like my roommate

And you would like h̶i̶m̶ [her] too

It's a darn nice campus

But I'm lonely for you.