On the first day of Boccacio’s The Decameron, the Brigata, a group of youthful adults, evade the plagued city of Florence to an isolated villa in the countryside filled with lush nature and an abundance of greens. As the Brigata discusses what to do during their period of isolation, they decide that they will take turns telling stories “to have fun while [they] are living here, for that is the very reason [they] fled [their] sorrows back [in Florence]” (Boccaccio, 15). The Brigata tells stories as a form of escapism or in other words, to distract themselves from the unpleasantness of reality.

Every summer, I remember that my mom would drop me off at my cousins’ house so that my grandma could take care of me. Because we had limited screen time, we often found ourselves playing pretend and coming up with unrealistic scenarios to get through the day. Analyzing the situations, I realize how much I relate to the Brigata as we both use our imagination to create stories and build worlds that those stories can develop in. Escapism in the form of storytelling can fuel creativity and it provides a world to live in that, most of the time, can’t be achieved in the real world.

From a metaphorical perspective, the university primarily serves as a liminal setting as it is a period of transition from teenage life to adulthood. For many students, including myself, it is the first time we’re apart from our families for long periods. While this newfound freedom means that our parents/guardians have less authority over us, the independence of living alone requires students to learn how to take care of themselves. Another reason for attending college is to build our knowledge and skills so that we’re prepared to undertake the careers that we want to pursue in the future. While college might seem like the final destination at the moment, I believe that it functions as a rite of passage in which we get to understand ourselves and the world around us.

While a great meal is good on its own, the addition of a great conversation is what makes it so enjoyable. Some of my favorite places of retreat are the Brandywine dining hall and University Town Center. As a college student, one of the things I’ve found I lack is time. Due to busy schedules and workload from classes, the unavailability for my friends and me to hang out has increased. As lunch and dinner are primarily the only times in which we can chat with each other, I place my work to the side and just take time to enjoy.

One of my favorite topics of conversation to have with my friends is about family dynamics. While my friend is part of a family of five, I’m the only child in my family. It is always so interesting to learn and differentiate her experiences growing up compared to mine. By having these conversations, I get a glimpse of what life would be like if I had siblings and she gets a peek of my life. Through discussion and conversation, we don’t just exchange information about each other’s lives but also the different cultures we come from as it is significant in understanding the different worlds we come from.