When my family and I were forced to evacuate from our home during the Eaton Canyon fires, we did not know how long we’d be away from home. Expecting to return within a couple of days, we packed little to nothing. But two weeks later, we were still displaced, and it became clear that our stay would last longer than anticipated. Fortunately, FSHA residential life offered my family and I a place to stay. I officially moved into the residential hall on January 25th, and three days later, the rest of my family-along with our two dogs-joined me.
My roommate is my little sister, Bennet, who’s in eighth grade at Holy Family School in South Pasadena. Bennet is the first ever girl to live in the residential hall who is not yet a Tolog. Sharing a room with Bennet is nothing new for me as we always shared a room at home, so adjusting to dorm life with her has not been that challenging. In the dorm, we each have our own twin bed, dresser and desk, with a spacious closet and bathroom attached. Lately, we’ve been working on personalizing our space, adding a new decoration such as a fake plant or new book every day to brighten things up, and make it feel more like home.
One of the obvious perks of living in the residential hall is the extra sleep. With classes just a three minute walk away, I can sleep in as late as 7:50 AM, getting as much rest as possible before class. However, there have been a few adjustments to dorm life that I have had to make in my time at the hall. For one, there’s the early dinners. Normally, my family eats dinner very late, the latest being 10:00 PM. In the Res hall, however, dinner is served at 5:30 and ends at 6:30. This has required an adjustment. Then there’s the nightly study hours. From 7-8:30PM every weeknight, we’re required to sit at our desks with our doors open, and place our phones in a box outside our room for individual study time. At first, it was difficult-being away from my phone for an hour and half and having to keep my door open in the silence of the night. But the longer I stay, the more I find myself looking forward to this time every night. It allows me to have complete focus on my schoolwork without the distractions of my phone or a loud and restless environment that was my family’s home.
Living in the dorm has also allowed me to bond with the other residential life students. We participate in activities every weekend such as going shopping, watching movies, or playing board games together. I have made new friends and have become part of this tight-knit community. I do miss spending more quality time with my family, but the residential life students and staff have made a very welcoming, and positive atmosphere for me to go home to every day, making me feel like a part of another large, supportive family.
When the time comes for my family to move back to my home and leave our dorm life behind, I know that I will find myself missing the experience. I will miss the people I have grown to admire and all of the daily routines that have become so familiar. Nevertheless, I remind myself that once you are a part of the FSHA residential life community, you are always part of it. Even though my family and I will eventually return home, we will still be a part of the community, participating in events, attending activities, and visiting often. Though my arrival to living on FSHA campus was due to the unfortunate circumstances of the fires, this experience has granted me an opportunity I would never have had otherwise. It has helped me develop new habits, has taught me independence, and has allowed me to be part of the amazing community that is FSHA Residential Life.