Morikeoluwa ’20 and Marilise ’20 reflect on both the comforts of home and the benefits of now having a "home away from home" at Peddie.

Morikeoluwa
Hometown: Yorktown, Virginia

Peddie has been an unforgettable experience so far, but there is nothing like the special feeling of being at home. It was a six hour drive to my home of Yorktown, Virginia, and I was  really anxious about arriving. I was most excited about living with and seeing my family again. Living with close friends at Peddie is so much fun, but I yearned for the warmth of family. My older brother also attends a boarding school, so this was his first time home this school year, which made the occasion that much more significant. When my family was all together for the first time, we came together and had a short prayer. Afterwards, we all shared our experiences from this year thus far. Other than reconnecting with my family, I would have to say the best aspect of being home was being able to sleep in my own bed!

Not a lot has changed at home, but it definitely was different. My house physically looked different due to new items around. Around my town, everything was the same for the most part, other than a few new buildings here and there. Yorktown may not be the most exciting place, but it is definitely a very special place to me. In fact, what surprised me the most was the lack of extreme change. I'm so glad to be home, but I already miss my Peddie family. Though my home and town may have physically changed, the feeling I get while being here is the exact same.

Marilise
Hometown: The Hague, Netherlands 

I was excited to go home for a few weeks, eager to see my family, friends and cats. Not being home for a long time was hard, but also exciting to have such a new experience. Coming closer to the day of my departure, I became more and more excited. I was thinking of a list of things to do once I arrived home. So, when I finally arrived at Schiphol, Amsterdam airport, I drove back to the city I live in and hopped on my bike to my best friend’s house. Her sister and her mother were waiting for me to go and surprise her. She didn’t know I was arriving that day, so she was so excited and confused when she saw me.
Seeing all my friends made me nervous, they expected me to tell everything, but I wasn’t sure where to start. There was too much to say. Peddie has given me so many opportunities, too many to tell in just a couple of minutes.

Now that I’m home, I can see how much I’ve changed and the changes that have occurred here in Holland. I haven’t set a single step here since August, so I expected things to be different. People have been moving or are going to move, my house has gotten some decorations, houses around me have been renovated or are renovating, etc. As for my friends, it is funny to see that it doesn’t matter how long I was gone, they are still my friends and acted like nothing has changed. That was the most surprising thing to me. Being home is fun and exciting, but Peddie will forever be my home away from home.

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