Geraldine Sheehy

9 Dangan Park,

Claremorris Road,

Ballindine,

Co. Mayo

Ireland.

 

Dear Mom,

How are you? I hope everyone is keeping well at home.

I am having a great time here in college so far, the people here are nice, and I am enjoying my classes very much. The campus is very beautiful and there are lots of things to do here after class or when I’m finished my homework. My favourite place to go is the running track. It is at the edge of the campus, looking out onto the beautiful mountainy landscape, the sunsets here are magnificent, as the sun goes down over the Shawangunk mountains I feel as though all my troubles melt away. (“North Turf Field”)

Sometimes, between classes or at night when I am finished all my homework, I like to stroll down to the track and sit in the middle of it watching the planes fly by whilst enjoying the warm autumn evening air. I am trying to soak up this weather as much as possible before I go home to constant rain in Ireland. During the day I do my athletics training there, I train by myself but there are always other people playing on the inner field with their friends, or other people jogging round the track, so I never feel alone.

At the beginning of the semester after dinner my friends and I used to race down to the track from the dining hall to catch the sunset, we often were too late and missed it but the sparce times we made it down to see the sun setting was so beautiful it would take your breath away.

I have found that the track is the place on campus I feel most at home, since I am constantly training on the track at home, even though I don’t have my training group and my friends from home, it is comforting to know that when I am training on the track here, my friends are all at home doing the same thing, the track being the same colour as the one at home makes it extra homely. It helps with the homesickness greatly.

There is always a calm relaxing atmosphere at the track, anyone who is there is always having fun, playing catch or talking with their friends, I really like how I feel when I am there.

According to the New Paltz website the turf field inside the track is often used for women’s field hockey and Lacrosse (“North Turf Field”). I came across a field hockey game there before when I went there to relax and gather my thoughts and I was amazed at the game. The amount of support the girls had and the atmosphere their supporters created was incredible. There was a real sense of community there. I, of course, joined in with the supporters shouting for the Hawks and had an amazing time getting involved.

The track is definitely my favourite place on campus, and I miss home just a little less whenever I am there. Nevertheless, I can’t wait to see you when I get home in December, and I hope to hear from you before then.

Love and miss you,

Yours sincerely,

Aoife.

“North Turf Field”. SUNY New Paltz Athletics, 2021, https://nphawks.com/sports/2011/9/27/FH_0927112938.aspx?id=243.