My Shell Is Slowly Cracking

The night of the Brown 2012 Dinner has finally arrived!  Because both Don and Mr. Ramsey constantly stressed the importance of punctuality, my dad and I left home at 5 and arrived the Plaza by 5:20.  Of all the different times I have ridden BART, I would have never imagined that someday I'd be riding the train to San Francisco dressed in formal clothing along with a handful of other people in formal clothing.  The stares that I've received from several strangers at the station made me feel quite peculiar, but I reminded myself that I will be in the midst of many important people tonight and they will not.  Trust me, it was a reassuring reminder.

Meet my incredibly supportive dad.

The Boulevard of San Francisco is where our dinner was held.  The location of our room took me by absolute surprise; a private room reserved just for us!  For about 15 minutes, we all had a chance to meet and mingle with the sponsors, alumni, and soon-to-be Brownies.  I found it difficult and intimidating to simply approach these insanely successful people, but I pushed myself to grasp this opportunity to spread my wings and engage myself to everybody.

After getting settled in our seats (and for the record, I absolutely loved the people in my table), Ms. Kronenberg started the program off by asking each person to stand up and introduce themselves.  Speeches were then delivered by Simon Hong, a Brown graduate, Andrew Gonzalez, a future Brown student, Abigail Serrano and Nick Shebek, two of our very own Brown ILCers, and of course Mr. Ramsey.  The message that stuck to me the most has to be Andrew's.  He mentioned that his original dream school was Stanford, until he found himself falling in love with Brown.  If his speech was able to strike my perspectives, what more will the trip to Brown itself do?

Let me take a moment to reminisce on the dishes that I had the privilege to savor.  The lobster bisque that I wish would last eternally on my taste buds... the halibut that never seized to amaze me after each bite... the chocolate wonder that graciously melted in my mouth... I'll end this here.  It hurts to think about it.

Brown ILCers and Brown Alums (this is why counting to 3 is important)

Did I mention that I loved my table?  Seated around me were my father, Mr. and Mrs. Curran, Beilul, Andrew, Mr. Jonathan Speed, and his lovely girlfriend Anna. These people were great company and were really easy to talk to.  I was immensely fond of Mr. and Mrs. Curran because of the life stories they've shared with both my father and I.  Jonathan was also enjoyable to listen to; he gave me a heads up of what to expect in college, especially in postgraduate school.  Anna talked to us about her passion for children and how she came to be as a professional nanny.  Beilul and Andrew shared their tips for the Brown trip, which made me pretty giddy inside because of the way they made Brown sound so enjoyable.  I'd elaborate on our conversations but I would end up going on and on and on about it. They are all extremely elite people and it is humbling to know that they are still able to reach out and talk to a mere high school student like myself.  As I've promised time and time again, I WILL be one of these people someday. As for now, though, I will post this blog, proceed with my stack of homework, and await the day of our departure to Brown.