Never, The End

I did not expect the plethora of emotions that flooded me that day, the day when our ILC experience on the East Coast came to an end. Before we left, there was another major milestone event left for us Brownies: the annual brunch with Brown, held at the Brown Alumni Center on campus. Brown cohort II had already gone to check in earlier that morning, so we didn’t meet them at the hotel. Because of a triathlon event running through Providence today, we had to take a long detour around to get to campus, even though it should have been only minutes from the hotel. I remember passing by the Alumni Center countless times during my stay at Brown.  

The brunch was another example of the great opportunities the ILC presents us. We mingled with students, alums, and faculty members alike. I saw Dean Robin Rose again, and also met Guy Sanchez,an alum and very important connection to the ILC. Molly and I both happened to sit next to Irene Rojas-Carroll, which was kind of cool considering we’re all from El Cerrito High School. We caught up with each other and discussed Brown. Once everyone had finished eating, we moved on to the actual program, starting off with introductions by Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, Guy Sanchez, and Dean Rose. Tayler gave a very moving and emotional speech about our experiences at Brown. I think it pretty much embodied how all of Brown I felt about our unforgettable time here, and I found myself going through flashbacks of the whole trip from start to finish. Next, Maddie Pine represented Brown II with another great speech. Dr. Jabbar Bennett was a guest speaker for the brunch. Dr. Bennett is the associate dean of the Graduate School as well as the Division of Biology and Medicine at Brown, and a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the medical school.He gave a very inspirational speech about finding your own path in life. Afterwards, I introduced myself to Dr. Bennett. I would’ve liked to talk to him more, but unfortunately time ran out and we still had to make our preparations to leave.

Brown Brunch

After the brunch came the time to say final goodbyes, “thank you”, and “good luck” to Brown and the Women and Leadership session. Again, I was really grateful to be able to talk to so many people from Brown, and that they were so welcoming and sincere to us. On our way back to the hotel we drove through campus one last time, and I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. It felt strange to be passing the dorms and revisiting Thayer Street, but knowing that we weren’t a part of it anymore. I was envious seeing new Summer@Brown students that had repopulated the campus, but happy for them at the same time.

With our time in Providence expired, we still had the daunting task of packing all of our things for good. Not wanting the same thing as last time to happen at the airport I was extremely careful this time, moving things from one bag to the other trying to balance them in a puzzle-like fashion. Since there were no rice bags around, I made good use of the scale in the room. Finally satisfied for achieving a record 45.5 pounds, I brought my luggage down and packed it with the others into the overflowing van. I was somewhat reluctant to leave the hotel, but not nearly as much as Brown, despite the gap in accommodations.

What happened next became a whirlwind of events as we. Before I knew it the plane was lifting off the ground and I was gazing through the window to catch the last sights of beloved Providence. After a short layover in Chicago we boarded the final leg of the flight back to San Francisco. Most of the time spent on the flights was split between rumination, sleep, and bracing myself for the end. We knew we were finally back in the Bay when met with the spectacular view of the shining lights of the city welcoming us home.

Home, at last!

At the moment, all I can think about is getting some rest. Over the next few days, once I’ve had some time to fully digest and see the entirety of the whole experience, I will be posting a conclusive reflective blog soon (hopefully).