Open Food Blog (W6)

Nothing makes a person miss home than when they are far away in a strange place. When I went to college, I did not understand what all I would be giving up food wise. Dining halls seemed like this wonderful buffet where a person would have multiple options and be able to eat however much a person wanted. It was clearly obvious to be wary of portions in order to not gain the “Freshmen Fifteen,” but I did not know how easy it was going to be to eat small portions.

Before I continue, let me say that I do not know what other college campuses provide for their food; I am merely referring to the experience that I had at my college.

The first time I ate in a dining hall, I was completely excited to grab all sorts of different food. The fact that there was a salad bar was nice too, because it allowed for me to be able to at least think that I would eat healthy (although I would rarely choose that option). The rest of the food though was definitely lacking quality. Food would be cold, taste terribly, be congealed, and even stick to my plate when the plate was turned on its side. (That happened specifically with a strawberry shortcake I had.) It made me miss home cooked meals and my family so often times, I would drive home every other weekend.

Junior year was looking to be more exciting for me. I was completely excited to move into a house that had its own kitchen that even came with a stove and oven. Foolishly, I thought that I was going to be doing a lot of cooking and baking. I quickly found out that was not true at all. My diet mainly consists of simple and quick foods to make like Ramen, grilled cheese, hotdogs, macaroni and cheese, and the like. Occasionally, my boyfriend and I will make a breakfast or dinner together on the weekends. It is a shame that I cannot really create food like I thought I would be able to.

I have to say, I cannot wait until I can make real food in my home. I am not sure if college is keeping me from being able to make real food or if I am not correctly managing my time. If that is the case, I need to work better at it so when I get out into the real world, my dinner options will be of quality and I want to have a plethora of options. I want it so that when I have my own kids, they will want to come home for the food I make.