Home Away From Home

Time flies. My first semester and winter break here at UIUC have passed. It has been several months since I left home. Because I also studied alone in Taipei, Taiwan, a different city rather than in my hometown during my undergrad, it seemed that to some extent I was supposed to be accustomed to this lifestyle. However, I would go home at least once a month and would also return home during long vacations at that time, whereas I seldom had long travels after starting my new journey here in Champaign-Urbana. Living in a foreign country can sometimes inevitably make me feel lonely. To overcome this, in addition to video calls with family abroad or friends in other states, I also travel, cook, exercise, gather with friends, or participate in the school’s activities. Those activities have gradually made Illinois a  "Home Away From Home."

The first time this profoundly moving phrase really inspired me was when I performed alongside the Wind Orchestra in early October. There was a piece in the program that happened to have the title "Home Away From Home," and there was a very beautiful and challenging piano solo passage in the middle section. When practicing, I repeatedly pondered the mood and sentiment prompted by the many chromatic intervals in the melody. After reading the program notes written by the composer herself, I felt even more empathetic. Performing this piece was purely meaningful and memorable to me.
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In my free time or during breaks, in addition to making full use of time myself, sometimes I meet with friends for dinner, outings, and sports. I had a good time giving ice skating a try as well as celebrating and enjoying a great dinner at a friend’s apartment both on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Besides, I participated in a series of activities held by the school, which shared the exact title, "Home Away From Home." The event was very casual and relaxing, and people from a variety of backgrounds could attend. I made a lot of new friends during the event, most of whom were international students like me. Even if everyone came from different countries and majors, there were no gaps between all of us. We chatted, played board games, cooked and ate exotic cuisines, and did colorings and crafts. This interesting event was completely stress-free, just like a very warm family gathering.
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I am glad that I didn't suffer from severe homesickness after I came here. Maybe it's because I have gradually matured, or maybe the atmosphere here and the relationship between people are pretty close and well-connected. No matter how, all the things I experienced here will become precious memories of mine.

Chin-Hsuan Sharon Cheng (written in January, 2022)


Traditional Chinese:

家外之家

時間過得很快，轉眼間已經在這裡度過一個學期和長假。大學時我也是隻身前往其他城市求學，似乎已經有點習慣這樣的生活模式了，但當時至少每個月一次會回家，長假也都會返鄉， 而這次離開家來到香檳就是好幾個月沒返鄉。雖然自己在異鄉生活有時難免會感到孤單，但平時除了會跟遠在國外的家人或在其他州的朋友視訊通話，也自己找些樂子、旅遊、下廚、運動、跟朋友聚聚或參加學校的活動，讓我漸漸在外地找到家的感覺，而「Home Away From Home」這個短語也漸漸讓我很有感觸。
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第一次對這個詞真正有感是在十月初管樂團演出時，當時曲目中有一首樂曲名字正是〝Home Away From Home〞，其中還有一段非常漂亮且富挑戰性的鋼琴獨奏。在練習時，我反覆琢磨其中的意境和片段中諸多半音音程帶來的很揪心的感覺，也在閱讀作曲者親自寫的樂曲解說後越來越感同身受。剛好這也是我第一場在Krannert Center的演出，非常有意義且讓我十分難忘。

之後在空閒或放假時，除了自己充分利用，有時我跟朋友相約吃飯、出遊、運動，像是跟課堂認識的同學一起體驗滑冰，聖誕夜和跨年夜到朋友家慶祝、享用豐盛晚餐，非常開心。另外，我也藉由學校社群網站看到一系列活動的訊息，名稱正也是〝Home Away From Home〞，想著寒假有空閒就去參加看看。這是個非常隨興放鬆的活動，校內學生都可以參加。我在活動中認識了好多新朋友，大多數都是跟我一樣的國際學生，即使大家來自不同國家和專業，但聊天起來完全不會有隔閡，我們也一起玩桌遊、做菜享用異國料理、著色、做手工藝，十分有趣。這個活動完全沒有壓力，就像是一個非常溫馨的家庭聚會。

我很高興自己來到這邊後沒有為思鄉所苦，或許是因為我已經漸漸成熟，亦或許是這裡的氛圍和人與人間的關係很親切不會那麼疏遠。無論如何，在這裡經歷的種種將成為我永遠難忘的回憶。

Chin-Hsuan Sharon Cheng (2022年1月)