All my life I believed a home was a place where you grew up and lived with your family. That no matter where life took you, you always had to return to this ‘home’ at the end of your journey. However, as I moved cities for university and started living the dorm life at the IBA Girls Hostel, this years-long belief was reshaped.
Despite the fact that the transition phase took a toll on me, it wasn’t long before I found myself building a connection with this new home. And soon it became my ever cherished comfort zone. That’s when I finally understood what “home is where the heart is” truly meant.
My Space
My room – up close
Even though small, my dorm room at the IBA hostel speaks to me. It has elements of my personality, that I carefully set up as I wanted. You will find my favorite books stacked on one of the shelves next to a tiny painting gifted by my best friend. With polaroids and self-reminders pasted and a photo frame of my mother placed (with love) on the other end of the shelf; it feels home. Coming back to this space after a long day at the campus, I am able to regain my energy and find solace.
And it is not just me, revamping dorm rooms has proved therapeutic for many as you can read here!
Living with friends and forming connections
Weekend Detox 
Marsh-mellow sprinkled hot chocolate
Home is less about the space and more about the people living in that space. And so once you’ve found friends at the hostel, it’s a party every day! It’s funny as I recall my first interaction with my now closest friend at the IBA hostel; I found her making chai in the kitchen and as a courtesy she offered me a cup. Now, we live in the opposite rooms and argue over who’s turn it is to make chai. On weekends, we watch a Bollywood movie and fix ourselves hot chocolate – the perfect detox for the week.
Sharing space with girls from diverse backgrounds and age groups, often a few intimate conversations and you end up forming the most special bonds. On days when everything else around me gets overwhelming, it’s these bonds that help me gain back my strength by giving me a shoulder to lean on.
Self-sufficiency
Living far from family also means doing everything on your own – from budgeting to doing your grocery, to traveling alone. As I plan my expenses for the month or bring back bags of fruit and milk up to my room, I realize what adulting, in its truest essence means. My capabilities are brought to light and the feeling of independence is unmatched. But I also realize how important it is to stay grateful for everything, no matter how insignificant. On days when arranging dinner becomes too much effort or doing laundry ruins my schedule for the day, it hits me how living with your parents is a privilege we often take for granted.
To Sum up the IBA Girls Hostel
It’s a bittersweet thing, living at the IBA hostel. It has your serotonin levels overflowing one moment and has you feeling beaten down the next. But it has got you safe and helps you uncover parts of being that you never knew existed.
