Healthy + Well writer: Clarisse Liclic
Image via Wix
Like any student at this university, entering Richmond’s campus was most likely one of the first tastes of freedom and independence I was given the privilege of experiencing. Growing up in an immigrant Asian household in the United States meant that my family was in an environment in which they could provide for my brother and I in ways that we might have struggled to back in our home country. One of these centered around not having to worry about putting food on the table for myself. This certainly continued on even as I entered college away from home as the meal plans that Richmond provides gave me access to food on a regular basis. However, now as a third-year student living in an on-campus apartment residence with a fully furnished kitchen, I made the choice over quarantine to cancel my meal plan which has been an intriguing route to navigate these past few months.
Personally, it had taken a pandemic for me to finally take control over my own mental health and body in small ways that I had neglected before, and my relationship with independence was something I had hoped to further nurture through teaching myself how to cook. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not the best chef and I certainly still crave my mother’s home cooked dishes from time to time. It’s as expected from a novice who had only ever made herself sunny side up eggs and stove top instant ramen before, but slowly over time, I had begun to appreciate the feeling of being able to provide for myself. Each week as classes and assignments pile up, I’ve found solace in being able to carve out time to drive to the grocery store, sift through the aisles for food for the week, and spending even just an hour of my day in the kitchen. What I hadn’t realized before was that achievements with cooking don’t come from cultivating restaurant quality meals, but rather, even just being able to make something fresh for myself – and for my roommates.
What I’ve learned from teaching myself how to cook these last couple months was something I hadn’t expected would improve my day-to-day wellbeing as much as it did. I’ve discovered a newfound excitement from being able to cook good, warm food from scratch – which I’m grateful for Tiktok for providing me with easy recipes to recreate. It’s a small step in the right direction as I’m finally figuring out how to feel whole, and as daunting as it used to be, I find cooking as a college student to be a much easier feat than writing a midterm paper at the very last minute.