Saying Our Goodbyes

It was the last day of school. June 9^th came around and all of us knew that summer would be starting in less than 24 hours. For me, it meant that my trip to Brown would start very soon. But at that moment, it hadn’t hit me yet that I would be traveling all the way to Rhode Island, and left to fend for myself. I’ve been packing for the past week trying to cram as many items as possible without destroying my suitcase and exceeding the 50 pound weight limit. Through a tough game of Tetris with my two suitcases, I managed to fit everything that I really needed. 

Ever since the orientation, I’ve been looking forward to finally step foot on Providence, Rhode Island for the first time. At times, my brain runs automatic simulations of me going to MIT and Dartmouth, or Wesleyan and Yale. When I’m nervous, I dream of forgetting a pair of extra socks and having to walk in class barefoot. When I'm freaking out, I get nightmares of myself forgetting to bring all the documents that Don needed from us, and having to run back home on foot to retrieve them. At the most bizarre moments, I daydream and picture myself doing my homework underneath the campus trees on a typical, hot summer day. 

Last Friday, Pinole Valley hosted their graduation ceremony at the Richmond Auditorium. During the ceremony, Mr. Ramsey announced the ILCers from the previous years that were graduating. I knew each of them very well, and I knew that they would all be successful people in the future. I was so amazed at the products that the Ivy League Connection created. This realization increased my excitement to a whole other level.  In preparation, I’ve also been looking at the Brown blogs from the previous year. It seems that every time I look at the blogs, the more agitated I get.

For some reason, my mind still thinks this is some regular, one day fieldtrip to the Lawrence Hall of Science, despite the two large bags of luggage. I’m really going to miss all the friends and foods that I’ve taken the time to know in California. I’m also really going to miss my family that pushed me hard enough to grab ahold of this opportunity. For me, going to Brown is a new start for me, and a highly productive summer. I am, without a doubt, sure that it’s better than sitting on my couch with a bag of chips in my hand watching old TV shows. This is going to be a very interesting summer for me to be able to meet new people from across the world, attend one of the most prestigious colleges in the world, and to indulge myself in a whole new setting and environment. With only a few hours left before I leave my house, I can only say, “Brown University, here I come.”