I have discovered that I must appreciate the little things that make me happy, especially while in school. Being 7 hours away from home is not easy (I must credit those students who live further away), and when you live in a dorm, although beautiful, you do miss one thing: a kitchen.

One of the many things that fills my soul with bliss is only available to me during weekdays, and I make do with what I can during the weekends. Stir-Fry. Erdman has a new stir-fry station. The station has 2 skillets; one is for vegetarians and the other for meat lovers.  My special dish, which I refer to as “Gabilicious,” takes a while. This means that I try to make it to dinner promptly at 5pm when the doors open. The first bunch of folks normally head straight to the hotline where food is already prepared, leaving me to be the first and only person at the station. My mission is literally like a mouse race. I rush to the salad bar because several items are there waiting for me: mozzarella cheese, green and red peppers, and lettuce. I love green onions and every evening they are not set out for the students. I tip toe to the back of the kitchen and smile: “Please Mama Gwen can I please have some green onions?” Or it might be Miguel, or Ms. Lily or Ms. Karen. We have a kind and loving staff, and when I first came to this school and suffered from homesickness they became my family away from home. Any kind gesture eases a student’s down moments and brings them to a better place. The gestures that have often been made to me are either a hug or a bowl of green onions.

After gathering my ingredients I go to the hot line to retrieve my bowl of rice, or if the rice steamer near the stir-fry station is full I go there instead. I then rush to the tiny mini-fridge by the microwave to grab two blocks of butter. Ready, set, go. I smear my skillet with a bit of oil to start, and then I add all of my greens. However, if I have chicken strips I add those to the skillet first. I like all of my food well done, and I often feel bad for students waiting behind me. That is why I get there early so that I rarely cause for anyone to wait. I add teriyaki sauce and I let it sizzle. I then push to the side all of the veggies and meats and dump my rice bowl in the middle of the skillet. Afterwards I pat it flat with the spoon. I add more teriyaki sauce, tons of black pepper and I turn the edges of the food inward with the spoon (mixing it). The result is a wonderful medley of veggies and rice from what were once separated foods spread across the dining hall. I then add the butter and mix it all in. The finale is the cheese, sprinkled and then lightly mixed in. I then slip this masterpiece onto a clean plate as well as into tiny bowls to share with my friends who love this Gabilicious dish.