A few days ago I had the opportunity to live a good experience, doubly pleasant; on the one hand, I met again with friends from my youth that I had not seen for many years and on the other hand, I went back to the residence where we met, in what was our home just arrived at the university.
The change from high school to university is important, not only at the academic level, but also because for some university students, as was our case, it meant a profound change in their way of life, leaving their parents’ house to live in another city, far from their family; this means that, in a way, the new traveling companions take on the role of family, becoming sisters and mothers, and the residence, at home, the new home.
It was sensational to revisit the nooks and crannies of that home. Although the area of the rooms has changed considerably (the renovations have put walls where there were doors, bathrooms where there were closets and closets where the beds were), the study rooms, TV, dining room, … are still maintained. You can’t imagine how happy we were to go through all the rooms; despite the changes, our ears still echoed with the rushing through the corridors, the laughter in the dining room, the bell to call the lucky resident who had a person waiting at the entrance or on the telephone receiver (we are talking about a time when there were no cell phones or social networks…).
Many elements are indelible, such as the corkboard at the entrance where the cards with the photo of each and every one of the residents were kept; it is something that those of us who lived through that period will always remember. I would also like to take this opportunity to mention other unforgettable people, such as Resu, Dominica, Sr. Ana María Pozo, Luisa Esther, Inés, Sr. Rosa Borrego and Pilar Simón… and so many other sisters who are not here now, either because they have passed away or because they live in other houses of the Order. A warm embrace goes out to all of them, wherever they may be. We must recognize the immense patience that the nuns had with us; keeping order among a group of more than two hundred girls between 18-22 years old has a lot of merit.
Today, with hindsight, we see that it was a great experience, very positive in many aspects and we thank our parents for making it possible for us to live it. At the age of 50, some of us have children of university age who have also had to travel abroad to study and, of course, have gone to a university residence to live that stage.
Finally, I would like to thank the sisters who still live in Valladolid for their warm welcome; they made the visit a very emotional and happy moment.
Group of 1986 residents