The kitchen in the apartment that I reside has characteristically been my safe haven to complete assignments. It is the place where my ideas become coherent and where I seek refuge when I try to find answers to questions. When I started attending Lehman, I came upon the realization that I was going to commute, hence, I was going to remain living with my rambunctious family. I have a large and tight-knit family that create any family gathering for the sole sake of seeing one another and it always happens in my home. I acknowledged that I was not going to be able to produce satisfactory work with my younger cousins running around and interrupting me. This fact made me realize that I had to study and do all my assignments at the Lehman College Library. Therefore, I significantly attempted to read my assignments and write papers and failed to do so at the Library. I do not know if it was the calm and somber tone of the library but I was uninspired to do my assignments. I felt that I was going to fell asleep at any moment. I also tried but failed to work in my room where I had an identical experience as the library and the living room which was too noisy for my liking. There being no other option left I went to the kitchen and started working on my assignments under the fluorescent lights and until this day I always go to the kitchen to either write/read papers. As I write this blog post I also sit in the same locality because it is where I feel harmony and where ideas flow through my mind to write.

I will write my Autoethnography in multiple places. Although I am comfortable and accustomed in writing and doing all my assignments in the kitchen I will write my Autoethnography at distinct localities. When I start writing about specific topics I get deeply involve and ideas out of epiphany stumble into my mind. And when such situations arise I just get my phone out and write my ideas down on notes. Typically, these happen in the train, gym, during my class schedule gaps, and when I am not being productive. I am usually thinking or doing something and a random/cogent idea is developed in my mind that I think seems adequate enough to be part of the paper I am currently writing. Definitely, the multiple places where I will write my Autoethnography are in the kitchen, the train, and in Carman Hall at Lehman during gaps in my class schedule.

I take the train daily but I am either too tired or too preoccupied to stare and study the aesthetics of the train. I usually put my headphones on to not listen to the electrical sound that the train makes as it glides through the station. Sometimes it is a painful and impatient wait that grants me time to read assignments. A train station is an unexpected place where random situations transpire on a daily basis. From an individual singing to a young man dancing happens during the short trajectory of the train. You can see people reading, others muttering under their breath and high schoolers showing their excitement. The train itself is a contrast because it is sometimes calm and occasionally noisy. Nonetheless, it is a place where I analyze and think because every day I experience unfamiliarity and differences. Besides the train, another place where I am most certainly writing my Autoethnography is the kitchen because of the uniqueness, familiarity, and tranquility it provides me. Technically the kitchen has every tool that any other kitchen has. But particularly, this is the place where every day is the same exact noise and calmness. I am not repeatedly disrupted but when a family member steps in they tend to provide me with their insights or experiences that would further help me in the subject at hand. In this place, the small interruptions make me overanalyze and I tend to always come up with new ideas. The kitchen keeps me awake and it is an insightful place where I get the inspiration to get things done. Ultimately, I know that I will be writing my project during the gap in my schedule at Carman Hall because I usually spend that time getting school work done. It is a peaceful place where I tend to hear professors writing with their piece of chalk on the blackboard. At these times, I get motivated to revisit/edit my papers. During this time of leisure, I see the students roaming through the hallways and I take this opportunity to question my classmates about certain topics or concerns. Their opinion is essential to me because it broadens my perspective when I am tackling a topic in a paper. This would certainly be one of the places where I will be writing my Autoethnography in because I would have the availability to interview knowledgeable people and make my project more well-rounded.

Being more mindful of the space that I am writing in impact what I write because space might positively influence my writing. I can acquire a myriad of ideas and knowledge by being in a space that I am comfortable in and where I can attain other people’s perception and knowledge. I would be able to interview and contact people that have the answers that I am searching for. The availability of resources at the space would also impact my writings. This can determine the extent that I can expand in my project. For instance, in the kitchen I can get my family perspectives and if I decide that my Autoethnography is going to tackle the topic of immigration I can call my aunt to interview her. I can create a set of interview question to ask her personal questions about her experience throughout the entire immigration process. The train can also provide me with a moment of tranquility to perceive and analyze what I am going to include in my project. Being mindful of the space essentially would contribute and assist my writing because it would help me develop ideas. It would also take my writing to a new distinct level.

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