The Origin of Me

I grew up in a small town on the west side of Southern (NOT RURAL) Jersey called Woodbury. Here, sitting on the corner of South Childs Street, directly across from Bell Lake, resting on top of a little hill was my home. Smokehouse grey with white trim and a big red brick chimney. This is my home. Here, I was raised by two very loving parents who quickly figured out how to suppress my constant energy overload through the beauty that is year-round sports. Here, I met my younger brother whom I’ve shared many great memories with and continue to do so to this day. Here, I’ve made lifelong friends whom I remain very close with and see constantly. Here, I was blessed with the lives and friendships of 5 great dogs, 3 of which, have moved on to a bigger and better place. Here, I saw numerous family members battle illness, some of which lived to tell the tale and others regrettably did not. Here, I watched the Philadelphia Phillies (YEAH THAT’S RIGHT) win the 2008 world series. Here, I became the man I am today.

21 Christmases, Easters, Thanksgivings, and Groundhogs Days later, I find myself sitting in a very much less glamorous home (to say the least) on Delafield Street here at Rutgers New Brunswick. After high school, I wasn’t exactly sure about what I wanted to do with my life. I knew the general expectation of society was for me to go off to college, get a degree, and start a life somewhere. However, for no specific reason, I didn’t find this idea too enticing. It wasn’t laziness, no, it was just too simple for me. I wanted more excitement in my life. Little did I know that college, especially Rutgers, would wind up being one of the most exciting decisions of my life. When I first arrived here, I had just finished up transferring from my second school in 2 semesters and was headed to my third. I knew a few people that had already gone here from home and was relatively close friends with them, however, I needed to make new friends of my own and create a new circle of people I could also spend my time with. It took no more than 2 hours of unpacking and introducing myself to the people on my floor that I had found the buried treasure of Rutgers dorms. Clothier 7^th floor during the 2015-16 year was one of the loudest, craziest, and ultimately best experiences of my life. It wasn’t long before we became notorious for making the quiet dorm-goers life a living nightmare (But in a good way). When I tell you there wasn’t a single dull moment on my floor I MEAN THERE LITERALLY WAS NOT ONE SINGLE MOMENT LACKING SOME FORM OF RECKLESS EXCITEMENT. Needless to say, accomplishing our school work became even more of a sport than ever as it seemed nearly impossible at times, but the memories and friends I made during this experience are ones I hold strong today. In, fact I’m currently living with 7 of them right now. Therefore, despite the absolute atrocity of a cesspool house I’m currently residing in here at Rutgers, I’m very glad to call it my home.

The people I have encountered in my life have shaped me to be the person I am today. From growing up in my hometown in the better half of New Jersey, to high school, and now college I have encountered numerous places I will now always consider to be my part of my home. These places have all contributed to shaping me into the person I am today. The saying “Home is where the Heart is” hangs above the sliding glass door in my kitchen at my home in South Jersey. Well, with that in mind, there will always be a small piece of my heart in these places and I will always be thankful for my experiences there.