Iowa City: Back In Action

Allie Dunn
Delta Delta Delta

After an especially long break of an entire month, I know 99.8 percent of University of Iowa students were itching to get back to school and return to their everyday lifestyle patterns. As I ventured back to school, I could not be happier to pass The World’s Largest Truck Stop. Furthermore, I definitely started stupidly grinning as I passed the Mayflower Residence Hall because I knew that within minutes I would be home sweet home with my favorite people in my favorite place.

One thing that I missed greatly over winter break was FAC: Friday After Class. It is as if I had an internal clock that goes off every Friday because even at home over break I would feel the need to be at The Union Bar instead of at home counting down the days until my return to Iowa City. Going from a whole semester where everyone would start their FAC bar adventures so enjoyably early to being stuck at home sitting with high school friends in someone’s basement while their parents are out for the night; the joys of being under 21.

Another thing that was greatly missed over the long break were my college friends. Of course it was great seeing all my high school friends and catching up on a whole semester's worth of gossip, but all the stories I had to tell my high school friends involved my crazy friends from school which made me miss them that much more. Since it seems that the majority of the University of Iowa student body seems to all be from a suburb close to Chicago, reunions with friends were easily made. Thank God for Skype and iChat as well – I’m truthfully not too sure how people survived back in the day without such essential life necessities.

Let's face it. We love our parents and we would be nowhere without them, but it seems that after we first move out of the house and go away to college parents become only manageable in small doses. Being at school, we are on our own and able to do whatever we want, whenever we want (well… within reason) to having our normal responsibilities at home such as feeding the dogs, taking out the trash and all that good stuff. I will give it to my parents for this one, I sincerely missed the home-cooked meals and having laundry done for me.  Laundry and home-cooked meals aside, it feels great being back in Iowa City with all our freedom.

Overall, winter break was definitely a great time relaxing at home with family, catching up with high school friends, shopping at favorite malls, and enjoying a month with no homework, but when it all comes down to it, I am definitely glad to be back in the place that I call my home: Iowa City. 

Allie is a sophomore studying pre-business and communications. You may contact her at allison-dunn@uiowa.edu.