Liana Star, Grade 12
UWC Mostar
One of the things I love most about Mostar, and one of the reasons why it was my top choice, is due to the fact that UWCiM does not have a closed campus. Students are able to wander freely throughout the city as they please. Although this nearly endless freedom can allow me to go anywhere in the city, I usually stay close to home (my dorm). About a three minute walk from my dorm though is a park that most students find a sense of friendship and a common bonding point within. This park is a gathering place in which you can often find at least a few UWC students hanging around. Whether they’re trying to relax after a long day of studying, or merely spending a free period laying in the sun, most students would agree that the park has become a place of comfort for us. When you enter you’re met by endless grass and Sakura trees scattered throughout. The sound of children laughing and shouting at one another can also be heard, as it is common for parents and teachers to bring small kids to the park to play after school. One of the best feelings after a long day of studying is just throwing down your backpack and laying in the shade, as it is often quite hot in Mostar. From CAS to birthday parties, UWC students will make almost any excuse to go down to the park. When the weather’s nice enough, teachers are also eager to allow us to conduct class outside, in the shade of one of the many large trees within the park. My favorite moments in this special place are birthday parties. We gather in a circle and take turns sharing our favorite memories and/or qualities of the person whose birthday it is. It’s a tradition which I hope to pass down to my first years, as I know it brings my friends and I a great amount of joy.
One of my favorite memories of the park occured while I was alone though, rather than surrounded by my friends. It was a busy Friday, one in which I had had an epiphany about both myself and my life. Everything hit me at once as I realized the term was not going the way I wanted, I needed something more but I wasn’t quite sure how to find it. I sat in the park after school journaling for about forty-five minutes. I let my thoughts pour onto the paper as I scribbled as quickly as I could. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was writing, but I knew it needed to be said. I often have epiphanies at UWC, and they usually seem to occur at the park. I am not sure whether this is due to the fact that nature allows me to relax, or forces me to acknowledge other aspects of my life, but it is extremely effective. I am grateful that I’m able to spend time in a beautiful place so close to my dorm. Although all of Mostar is special to me, the park holds an exceptionally special place in my heart.
One of my favorite memories of the park occured while I was alone though, rather than surrounded by my friends. It was a busy Friday, one in which I had had an epiphany about both myself and my life. Everything hit me at once as I realized the term was not going the way I wanted, I needed something more but I wasn’t quite sure how to find it. I sat in the park after school journaling for about forty-five minutes. I let my thoughts pour onto the paper as I scribbled as quickly as I could. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was writing, but I knew it needed to be said. I often have epiphanies at UWC, and they usually seem to occur at the park. I am not sure whether this is due to the fact that nature allows me to relax, or forces me to acknowledge other aspects of my life, but it is extremely effective. I am grateful that I’m able to spend time in a beautiful place so close to my dorm. Although all of Mostar is special to me, the park holds an exceptionally special place in my heart.
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