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• 1 media/794-2.png 2021-04-30T13:41:13+00:00 Homesickness Represented 9 Object 4 Submission plain 2021-05-13T04:28:50+00:00

  By Marilyn Brach

  Homesick: experiencing a longing for one's home during a period of absence from it. In my place at this time and very moment, I am feeling very homesick, and it has been a pretty consistent feeling I would say. As a freshman in college during a pandemic, homesickness is something I’ve had to not only navigate but also get used to. I chose to make something in response to how I have been feeling and the place I call home, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
  
  Pittsburgh is known for many things; rivers, steel, sports, ketchup, but most importantly, in my humble opinion, bridges. The abundance of iconic yellow bridges is the first thing I think of when thinking of home, besides my lovely family and friends. I decided to draw one of the sister bridges, the Rachel Carson bridge to be more specific. Rachel Carson is a famous environmentalist, most famous for her novel Silent Spring, who was born in Pittsburgh. When doing the drawing I used a photo for reference to outline the structure of the bridge. I decided to leave the background almost entirely plain in order to highlight the structure of the bridge. Doing the outline of the bridge was pretty tedious because I wanted to ensure the lines were exact and prominent. I used the creation of this object as a way to explore a different artistic side of me. I hope to further develop my drawing skills, so one day I can freehand things as opposed to outlining them.
  
  At this point in my life, I feel as if I have seen the bridges of Pittsburgh from every angle possible. From the river while I was on the crew team in high school, from the bike trails I would go on with my Dad during the weekend, from the air in an airplane, and especially the perspective of actually being on the bridge, whether in a car or on foot. It took going to college for me to really appreciate the beauty that is Pittsburgh. While in high school, all I wanted to do was to get out of the city and go far away, and I ended up doing so, but a moment doesn’t go by where I don’t miss the city and everything that comes with it. For example, the feeling of going through the Fort Pitt Tunnel and seeing the city skyline is indescribable to me, it’s the best feeling in the world, every time it’s as if I am looking at the city for the very first time again. I will never be able to recreate that feeling with anything else and that is what makes Pittsburgh so special. I cannot wait to be back.
  
  Homesickness, for me, also includes missing my tangible home. The comfort of my own bed, my backyard, and obviously can’t forget about my loving dog, oh and my parents too. But seriously, I miss my Mom and Dad the most. I call them when I can, but usually a phone call just results in me missing them more. It's hard to see my friends whose parents can easily come for a day trip, when for my parents they have to take off work and then drive seven to eight hours just to visit me. In the end, the distance between my parents and I only makes the reunion at the end of the semester more special.