When I think about home, I immediately think of one place –Beijing. This is the place where I grew up, where my parents live, and where so many of my earliest memories were made. When I was younger, I never really questioned what home meant. Home was simply the place where I felt loved and comforted. It’s where I spent the first 18 years of my life.
Then, I left for university.
Coming to the U.S. meant starting a new life away from everything that felt familiar. I left with three pieces of luggage, carrying everything I thought I would need for the beginning of a new chapter. But when I arrived in Boston, I quickly realized how much of everyday life my mother had always taken care of for me. Now, I had to figure everything out on my own.
At first, the dorms didn’t feel like a comforting space at all. The room was small, the bed was unfamiliar, and the mattress felt so hard that I could barely sleep. Between the uncomfortable bed and the jet lag, I was exhausted and frustrated. I called my mother and complained about how uncomfortable everything felt. It was one of those moments when I suddenly realized how far away I was from home.
Instead of trying to sleep, I got up and started organizing my dorm. I started to arrange my belongings and tried to make the room feel a little less empty. It was still far from what felt familiar, but my things began to fill the space, and it felt more personal. Over time, my friends and I started to hang out in the dorm more, do our assignments, and eat together. It gradually became a place filled with my belongings and my memories.
My idea of home changed even more during my second year of college, when I moved into my own apartment. I bought a bed, a desk, a sofa, kitchen supplies, and all the everyday necessities I never had to think about when I lived with my family. Little by little, I filled the empty apartment and arranged everything in a way that felt like me. What started as an unfamiliar apartment slowly became a place that felt like my own.
I began inviting friends over to cook and eat together. We played games, watched Stranger Things, and made memories in my cozy little space. We’ve also celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Chinese New Year, and our birthdays. With all the sweet and joyful memories, home became more about what happened inside it.
My friends have also experienced something similar. Ethan Chen, a junior studying business, told me that he struggled to adjust when he first moved into his dorm. Gradually, small things made the space feel more like his own. “After I bought a computer and started playing games when I don’t have school work, I began to feel more comfortable here and started seeing it as my own living space.” For Ethan, the concept of home developed gradually through the small routines that made the space feel more familiar.
For Gabby Wang, a BU alum who studied media science, Pho Viet near Babcock Street became a familiar space. When she had only a short break between classes, she could stop by for a warm bowl of pho. “I’ve always remembered ordering the No. 16 pho on the menu, with a spring roll. It was my comfort food, and it was something familiar that I could always come back to,” she said. The familiar order and warm meal gave Gabby a sense of comfort, turning a nearby restaurant into a small part of what made Boston feel more settled.
Their reflections helped me realize that everyone’s sense of belonging is different, especially as an international student. It may not always be easy to get used to, but time passes. Sometimes it’s a room we decorate. Sometimes it’s a restaurant we love to go to between classes. And sometimes it’s as simple as a group of friends sitting around and playing games. What these places have in common is not what they look like, but the memories we create and the experiences we share there.
Leaving Beijing did not mean replacing it. However, studying here has also taught me that the concept of “home” can grow through new memories, a new campus, personal belongings, and the people I met.
I create my homes along the way.
Emma is a senior studying media science at Boston University. Her passions include content creation and marketing operations, and she looks forward to using her skills to pursue related careers in the future.
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