Overall, the summer migration for Hockaday international students means they can finally return to a place where they call home, even though it takes them the extra effort and time.
School is over for the year, carefree goodbye and excited plans for summer vacation fill the hallways.
Meanwhile, in the Hockaday Residence Department, it is a different scene. Messy suitcases lie open on bedroom floors while boarding students scramble around the dorms, double checking their travel documents. It is time once again for international borders to embrace on another summer migration. Within 24 hours of the last day of school, most international boarders will be in the air on their way back to their home countries.
Summer for the international borders means family, challenges and more adjustment to life outside of Hockaday.
Away from parents and sibling for most of the year, international students value time with family much more. They usually choose to go to vacations together with their families, and they will choose to spend more time on the usual activities that people would do with friends or families. For example, attending concerts, shopping or even just talking about teenager topics.
Living at home, however, involves dramatic differences from their home at the dorms. At Hockaday, most boarders enjoy more independence, including managing their own time and schedules. Going back home means a more complicated environment with less freedom. At the same time, under the control of parents, there is less stress in some areas as parents take care of things like money.
Personally as an international student from China myself, the first few days after going back home brings more stress. Waking up in a new bed and environment, I have take a couple of days to adjust to the fact that I’m now at the opposite side of the Earth. While having dumplings and drinking soy milk, I found myself missing the Sage-provided bacons and potatoes that I used to dislike. I also have to say goodbye to Fat Straws trips and weekly online-shopping purchases since I can no longer buy a pretty dress without my mother coming home and interrogating me on why I’m buying “over-mature” clothes again.
Generally, summer vacation for international students means much more than just simply relaxing. They must overcome adjusting to various changes in their everyday life and resituate in an environment they haven’t been in for many months, but mostly importantly, they are going home.
Emily Wu – Staff Writer
