Home is where the heart is-新东方前途出国

    　　本文作者：美国穿越团成员、新东方前途出国咨询有限公司外联部副总监 萧明颢

    　　Day 13: September 13, 2013

    　　Days left: 17

    　　Current location: Columbus, Ohio (Buckeye Country)

    　　"Home is where the heart is..."

    　　I often see this phrase painted or carved on door hangings or wind chimes, etched in potteryware, or scrolled on greeting cards...a phrase to show warmth, love, and in my view, happiness.

    　　The origin of this phrase from a poem “If Home is Where The Heart is...” by John McLeod. It goes:

　　If Home is

　　where the heart is

　　Then may your Home be blessed

　　A shelter from the

　　storms of Life

　　A place of rest,

　　And when each day is over

　　And toil

　　put in its place

　　Your Home’s dear warmth

　　Will bring its smile

　　To

　　light the saddest face!

    　　For me, my “home” is still where my family is - in the house that I grew up in Ohio. Visiting my parents each year, once now annually, as I live in Beijing and they live in the U.S., home becomes more sentimental to me.

    　　Yet, besides my biological family ties, an unforgettable part of my heart lies in the “heart” of Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio State University (OSU) - home of the Buckeyes, with colors Scarlet (red) and Grey (hence the reference in my blog title).

    　　This school was not only a place where I resided for four years; its spirit and contagious hotbed of passion and energy, its offerings of world renown faculty and seemingly endless academic and out-of-classroom opportunities was a launch pad for my future, for my entrance to the‘real world', and the beginning of how I would view my adult life.

    　　In the US, the college years are often touted as the "best years of your life". Whether or not this is true truly depends on the individual (obviously). Yet, I find that my (undergraduate) college years were overwhelmingly memorable to me. The reason? Because I found the right place for me. To study, to play, to learn, to challenge my paradigms...this is what excited me. This is how I grew up.

    　　As many students, especially Chinese students, leave home each year to start or to return to school, in my strong (and humble) opinion, it's not enough to go to a school that has high rankings, or that has a strong graduation rate, or one that secures employment. These are, of course, important factors; however, for me, the feeling you have when you step onto campus, when you greet a visitor and tell them about where you go to school, to create and expand the circle and network of classmates and friends that you have...and many more...these are things that ALSO matter. These are the things that truly make your college experience fulfilling.

    　　Today, Friday, September 13 , I had a chance to share a part of my ‘heart’ with my colleagues. For me, a homecoming, an alumna returning to her roots. And while campus is in many ways different from when I attended school as a wide-eyed and naïve freshman, the energy, the passion, the academic excellence, and especially the scarlet and grey are visible everywhere.

    　　So to reiterate Mr. McLeod’s poetry, each time when I step onto OSU’s campus, when I see someone wearing an Ohio State t-shirt, when I watch OSU football...my (OSU) home’s dear warmth truly brings a smile to my face.

    　　Thank you to my colleagues and to New Oriental for this opportunity to share with you a memorable part of my life; to willingly to do the ‘O-H-I-O’ pose. And while you may not completely understand how I feel or why I made you spell out the name of the state...the hundreds of thousands of Buckeyes around the world will know instantly when they see this picture that you are part of their family. You are now one of us...

    　　GO BUCKS!

    　　Writer: Ming-Hao Shiao (萧明颢)

    　　Image source:

    　　I Heart Ohio (Neighborfood Blog)

    　　OSU University Hall (Chenggang Zhou)

    　　OSU Oval lawn (Chenggang Zhou)