Space effecting Perception

The space one lives in definitely has a huge impact on their perception. Of course, this “perception” isn’t limited to their life alone. Rather, it’s further extended to world itself and the qualities one expects to give and receive from it.

I’ve lived in my Trinidadian parents’ home for my entire life (prior to my moving into Rollins College). My mother, my father, and I lived in it; my elder siblings (two brothers and a sister) had already moved out. Since I was technically the only child in the household, I am quite used to having time to myself, and having my own space is something I’ve grown accustomed to.

That being said, I was hardly bored. Due to our small family, I’ve had plenty of time to bond with my parents, and we’ve all done our respective parts in keeping the household from falling into shambles (take that metaphorically or literally, whichever works). From running countless errands to comforting parents after their hard days at work, life in my parent’s house has had a significant impact on my perception of the world.

To begin with, my experience there has taught me about the importance of companionship and working together to achieve goals. One person can’t possibly do everything – that’s far too far-fetched and stressful. While independence is important, trusting others and depending on them is, to me, arguably of equal importance. Even now that I’m away from my Trinidadian home, I still recognize the importance of this, and it’s a quality I’m grateful to take to college. It’s taught me about being there emotionally for people, and it’s also taught me a lot about the value of having a little “escape” from it all.

This, naturally, took the form of my bedroom, where I’d crawl to whenever I wanted to have some time for myself. As I’ve said before, loneliness isn’t that much of a problem for me; perhaps I’m simply an introverted person prone to sudden bouts of extroversion. Having my own space is something I’ve grown accustomed to, and I don’t find myself depending too much on other people to amuse me – though it’s definitely appreciated. I can surely accredit this to the space I’ve lived in back home in Trinidad.

Now that I’ve moved into college, my perception of the world hasn’t been changed completely. In Trinidad, I would often complain about how we didn’t have certain stores or franchises, and I looked forward to living in the United States. I’m now experiencing this “fantasy,” and the whole experience has definitely changed my perception on the matter. Though living here is riddled with positive attributes, leaving home is definitely a lot more emotionally taxing than I first imagined it would be. My space back home – being so intimately attached to my family and house – has resulted in some negative aspects emerging, as well. But as the days go on and as I get accustomed to this new space, I’m ready for the changes which will be brought to my perception of the world at large.