By Hannah Wells | Contributor
Grace Olson Hall is a conjumble of emotions, people, opinions, experiences, laughter and life. It is loud. It is joyful. It is busy. It is home.
It is not home because of the comfortable temperature of the building, the amenities, the spacious rooms, the clean carpet or even the well-working mailbox combos. It is home in spite of the painfully obvious lack of all those things and the building's inconvenient quirks.
Home here often looks loud and busy. The stereotype of the extroverted "Olson Girl", while not a complete picture of all who live in the building, reigns fairly true overall.
The favorite traditions like Hello Saturdays, Christmas Morning, and many others help to create an atmosphere in Olson unlike any other.
Living in Olson feels like a constant rumble of never-ceasing laughter and movement, which is perfect for a college experience of fun and excitement. However, Olson's culture can make some seasons of life confusing, especially if those seasons don't coexist well with the constant laughter-infused buzz that defines Olson.
The culture here often feels like a dance, always moving and pulling people in. It is beautiful. However, it can work against someone who doesn't have the energy to be pulled into the dance. It can work against someone who just needs to close their door and pause in the midst of the chaos.
In those moments, the open door policy seems more like a curse than a blessing. Even still, there is beauty in the challenge of finding time away from what feels like the chaos of life here. There is always someone who will notice the shut door. And when they notice, they will knock.
Then, the dance slows down. And when the dance slows down, home is back. It feels doable to navigate the un-exciting and un-fun things in a place of so much vibrancy.
The dance might be in slow motion for a while for someone, but the usual busy and fast pace of life in Olson is waiting for her when she is ready.
Olson can be the perfect place in times of excitement and fun, and beautifully challenging in times of struggle and mourning. Home feels like the best way to describe the experience of life in Grace Olson Hall.
