Home Away from Home

By Kate Donahue

As someone who has lived in a dorm room with four white walls glaring at me for the past five years of my life, I’ve come to think of these walls as canvases. Each owner leaves their unique mark and turns the glaring canvas into something meaningful and unique to them. While not everyone spends time thinking about what they place on these walls, I’ve learned that if you look closely, the walls do tell a story. I’ve come to appreciate this and used this as an opportunity to learn something about my peers. 

The first few days at Middlebury, I remember wandering around campus with endless awkward introductions. Eventually, new friends would congregate in someone’s room. Each room is so distinct and provides a lens into that person’s identity. I truly believe that when we take time to look at the objects and items used to decorate, we can learn so much about someone. After speaking with Middlebury students, I’ve learned so much about so many people through their set-up. There are so many aspects of home or places and things that feel like home in everyone’s room. There are also minute details that relay values to us. There are too many stories to tell, but here are just a few: 

The Middlebury Throw Pillow

One student has a Middlebury throw pillow that has been passed down through her family and through generations of Middlebury College students. Not every family member had this pillow on their dorm bed but each member held onto this pillow to pass along to the next Middkid. The student said, “I like knowing that I am never alone at Middlebury, my family has been through what I am going through and when I see the pillow it reminds me of this.” 

Photos Everywhere

An entire wall full of photos with family and friends lays behind her headboard. At first, she wanted memories and people she loved to surround her and provide a sense of familiarity. But she quickly learned that these photos served as a perfect talking point. She could point out friends from home, friends from school, that one guy she always talked about, and everyone in between. Soon the wall began filling up with Middlebury friends too. 

Class of 2021 

The most important thing to remind him of the people and place that he calls home is his high school banner. Hanging on the wall, the banner reminds him of different fond memories with his home away from home. As a boarding school student, he felt like home wasn’t just with his family so while his mom may have helped with the rest of his room, this one item was his own. Again, this memento from high school brings up so much to discuss, boarding school, athletics, old friends, connections, and so much more. 

Neat & Clean

“I wanted it to be similar to my room at home as much as possible.” This student made her room similar to her room at home with white bedding, her favorite accent pieces, her childhood stuffed animal, and her favorite blanket. She kept things almost exactly the same so that she could feel closer to home and make the transition to home easier. She also included photos of friends and family and loves to have people over and show them her little sister or best friend from home. 

Posters from Abroad

After a semester abroad, this student came back with unforgettable memories and friends from all around the world. This experience was unlike any before, wandering the coastlines and hiking mountainsides. The time abroad taught so many new lessons and ‘shaped who she is today.’ To remember the days studying by the canals and eating fresh croissants, she has posters from abroad that paint her walls with some of her fondest memories. 

Life Mapped

‘I like to remember the places I’ve traveled to and places that have some deeper meaning to me.’ This student chose to cover the walls of their room with maps of various places they’ve traveled to, lived in, or that have some connection to where they are today. The student likes to think of places as being moments in their life that they pass through and that get them to their current place in life. With this in mind, they hang maps of home, hiking trails, towns, cities from abroad, and so much more. 

Sweet & Simple

Traveling far from home with no one to help moving in, she kept it sweet and simple. ‘I figured the less I brought, the easier it would be.’ But a few important things she remembered: her childhood blanket, a photo of her family, and her pillow she can’t sleep without.                                                                                                                                                                                             

When you enter a friend’s room you may think nothing of the decor on the walls or what it means. However, as you’ve seen from these short stories there is so much you can learn. When you look deeper, you will make connections. Even in a close friend’s room, if you look a little closer, you may make a stronger connection after learning what these people choose to take from their past with them here at Middlebury.