Her back is turned to me as she types away on her computer. Her eyes are concentrated on the screen however her black bangs fall over her porcelain skin, almost covering her eyes. While her mom argued with her about dying her hair, she decided to dye the tips an electric blue that matches her painted fingernails. Her hair is messy, with two french braids that she did last night before going to sleep. She’s discovered in the last few weeks that is more difficult than she expected to coordinate outfits with her new hair color but today she decided to wear a simple black turtleneck. She layered the turtleneck with a striped dress that she usually wears in the summer. The dress hugs her waist but flares out at the bottom. Her big hoop earrings, Doc Martens, and bright red lipstick complete the outfit.

She’s with her boyfriend studying in the library because she has a test on Monday that she has not started studying for yet. After her last exam went poorly, she promised herself that she would start studying on weekends but this new goal was proving to be more difficult than she anticipated. Every few minutes, her phone buzzes with notifications, and she can’t keep herself from texting her friends from back home. She misses home but the flights back home are too expensive to go anytime soon. Back at home, she always felt like she was suffocating because of her helicopter parents who wanted to control every aspect of her life. This is the reason why she decided to go to Skidmore and travel thousands of miles to start a new journey and learn to take care of herself.

Mapping Rome Examples of Writing Assignments

Momentary Blindness

My back sinks into the cushioned office chair while my feet stay planted on to the firm ground. While sitting at my desk, my pants which are too short expose my ankles to the warmth. With my eyes closed, I can hear in the far distance, the printer comes to life in the office and starts to spit out long documents. After a minute, the humming of the printer quickly comes to an abrupt stop. I can hear Nancy, the woman who sits next to me, typing away at her desk. Her fingers aggressively hitting the plastic keyboard.

To the left of me, people's conversations from the kitchen carry over and I can hear them faintly talking. Their laughter and excitement for the weekend can be heard loud and clear. One woman with a rusty voice keeps talking about the Super Bowl from across the room. Others in the office are intrigued and join in the conversation. In the other direction, I can hear people walking to the kitchen. Their footsteps scratch against the heavy carpet. 

I inhale deeply and put my head on my desk. The smell of my perfume radiates around me. The rose-like fragrance permeates my nose with a sweet smell. While my head rests in between the crevices of my elbow, I can feel the soft material of my sweater touching my checks. My sweater, also drenched in perfume feels fuzzy on my face. I listen for another minute, open my eyes, and sink back into my office chair.

(Office in North Hall, 02/01/2019)