Leaving Penn?

Its crazy to be reunited with my parents , after a month of being away. On the drive back home ,I felt as if I were hallucinating. I just felt different, the car , and even the house. The time seemed to go by so fast, and the thought of me being in Philadelphia just that same day  was crazy.

The morning I returned home, I woke up at about 5:30 because my roommate was leaving. We said our goodbye's , and I watched as the door closed all the way , and I knew that I would not be seeing him ever again in my life. It was sad but I will always have the memory of him being my very first roommate, Fred. I then knocked out for a few more hours , so I would be well prepared for the trip to the liberty bell.

Around 7am was when I woke up again , promptly getting dressed so that I could finish up packing. After I was finished packing , I was pretty sure that my bag was under 50 pounds(it was 42.5) I brought my stuff down to Ivette's room , then headed back up to my room so that I could say the last goodbye's to what once was my cave. After about 30 minutes Mr Lawrence was there waiting for us , and we checked out and returned our keys. If we were to had lost the keys , it would cost over 100 dollars. Luckily none of did. Now it was time to head to the liberty bell , so we dropped our bags off at the hotel and got on the SEPTA. Once we got to the liberty bell sight , the sun decided to torture us with heat and humidity. We were relieved once we got inside the building. After we took a few pictures and read a few articles we had lunch and back we were to the hotel to catch our shuttle to the airport.

There , a 5 hour plane ride awaited us. On the plane I did about to things, slept or listened to music. When the plane arrived , I started to get butterflies because I knew that I was finally in the same proximity as all my close friends and my parents. After getting my luggage , I said goodbye to the gang which had truly formed into a family , and there I was riding home in the car thinking about how I felt and thinking about the past month  

Penn There, Done That

It feels so weird to be home!  As soon as I got off the plane it really sank in that I won't be seeing Ivette, Alysa, Cameron, David, Mariko, and Clara on a daily basis anymore.  We began this trip as acquaintances but now I feel so close to all of them and I hope we maintain that friendship now that we're back in our own lives again.  

On the other hand, I loved seeing my mom and brother at the airport!  I missed them so much and it was so wonderful to go back home with them.  The only thing that was super weird about seeing my brother was finding out that he outgrew me in the one month I was gone!  My little 15 year old brother is now taller than me; very strange. We also hung out with some close family friends last night so there were a lot of hugs, smiles, and conversations among us.  I was able to finally tell them, in person, how the program was for me, and I went on and on about how amazing it was.  Seriously though, the Social Justice class with Prof. Lamas and Michael was incredible and I was thrilled to share my experiences with everyone last night. 

I think that it is going to feel strange for a little while living back home without my cohort, but I life will return to "normal" in a couple weeks.  I put quotations around normal because I don't think that I will be able to go through my days without critically thinking about what is going on around me.  Although I believe that I was quite thoughtful and aware of my surroundings before the program, this class has widened my perspectives and taught me how to think even deeper about my actions and the actions of others.  Already, I have noticed a change in how I take in what other people say to me, and I try to respond in a more thoughtful way.  I am not saying that I am a totally different person, because I am most definitely not; but I do think that I have changed in some ways that I believe will allow me to move through life with more critical analysis and understanding.

I am excited to share the hundreds of pictures I took with family and friends, and I hope that I am able to hold on to my identity this next school year while I continue through my personal transformation (we discussed this with Arnold Farr).

2,875.6 Miles Later

It's crazy to think that just this morning I was across the country. I woke up in my dorm room for the last time. I made sure everything was packed, because the last thing I wanted was to forget something. I then made my way outside to meet the rest of my cohort and chaperone, and get the signing out process over with. My roommate helped me with my bags, an stayed with me for a bit. I didn't know how to say goodbye to her! I felt like no matter how we said goodbye to each other, it wouldn't come close to capturing our true emotions. Anika was the best roommate ever, and I feel lucky to have met her.

We weren't going to head out to the airport until one, so we had about three hours for historical site seeing. We had decided a couple of days before that we wanted to go see the liberty bell, and that's exactly what we did. We dropped our bags off at the Sheraton Hotel, that's where Mr. Lawrence stayed during the trip, then began our trip. There was a line to see the liberty bell, and lucky for us we had to wait in the 95+ degree for about twenty minutes. I was a bit uncomfortable, but I tried to enjoy it because that was the last time I was going to be in the hot Philadelphia sun. We took a few pictures with the liberty bell, and read about its history. The air conditioning inside the building felt great, but not good enough to satisfy our hunger. We headed across the street to a food court for brunch. We ordered Mexican food and cheesesteaks. After finishing, our chaperone asked if we wanted to do a bit more walking around since we had some time left before the shuttle would pick us up at the hotel. We all said no, I don't know why everybody else said no, but I can tell you why I did. I wanted to spend more time with cohort, and every time we're together it's just nonstop laughs and great conversation. Today was no exception.

As we headed to the airport in the shuttle all I could think about was how in a matter of hours I'd be back in California. We checked our bags in, went through security, and bought an early dinner before we were able to sit down. We boarded the plane shortly after that. The plane ride was about six hours, but it went by so fast. I think it went  by fast for me because I wanted to spend more time with my cohort! We talked and laughed so much during our final hours together, and it just made it that much harder to accept the fact that our trip was coming to an end.

I was so overwhelmed when I saw my mom and sisters,and they were holding a welcome back poster. My mom was clearly overwhelmed as well, because she began to cry almost immediately after she saw me. I was welcomed back with tons of hugs and kisses. Now that I am laying in my own bed I can finally say it,I'm home.

Home At Last

Today, started off early, as if it was a normal Saturday. But instead of a trip to a major  city on the East Coast, our destination was home, back on the West Coast. I managed to get ready early enough to see most of my friends leave. By the time the Penn cohort was leaving, the quad, a once lively place, seemed very sad and lonely. I felt sad leaving Penn after experiencing many great memorable moment.

Once the Penn team officially signed out, we had three hours to pack with one final memory. Ian Lawrence said that he had lived in Philly for two years and never has seen the Liberty Bell. He suggested that we all go, which we did. As we waited in line to see the bell, we had our usual talks and sharing of memories. After playing a game of hide-n-seek with the clouds, trying to avoid the sun, we made it inside the museum. I feel that after seeing the Liberty Bell, that I could leaving Philly, feeling like I did it all. We then went to grab our final lunch together, half got cheese steaks and the other half got Mexican food. Although, this was not most high quality food in the world, the moment in itself was high quality. We reflected on our journey and how it has only been over a month that we were all strangers packed in van. Yet now we see each other, not as strangers, but as some of the best friends one could wish for.

I think that TSA was a whole lot nicer here in Philly, in comparison with other airports. They helped us quickly get through, and be off with our day. We each grabbed a small bite for the 6-hour flight. I loved the flight. It was a very calm flight overall, but I found it a great time to reflect on my journey as an ILCer. I give many thanks to the ILC, and with everything they have done and asked of us, I still feel as that I owe them a ton.

We arrived at San Francisco Airport at 7:05PM, which lead to the final moments of us being together. While I was packing, I didn't notice that I place my Penn sweater in with the big 50 pound suitcase, so I was unable to wear it for our last group picture. After baggage claim, we were all started to dissipate with each of our families. Then, POOF, the team that went through life at Penn was split up for the first time. I know that I will miss everyone from this marvelous journey, but I also know that we will meet again but until then, I have some catching up to do with my bed.

Bittersweet

I woke up. Class didnt start untill 10 today. That means that I was well rested and prepared for what was to be the last day of class which is exciting but also means that the family that grew during these past month would be broken up. Bittersweet memories and pictures would be all that would be left.

Today , we were learning about currency in other cities in the Us and how they are trying to stray away from the U.S dollar. To further elaborate on this topic , Professor Lamas played a video that one of his former students made.It was a very interesting video that had interesting facts regarding inflation and the different problems alternative currency faces against the U.S dollar. An example of alternative currency is the Ithaca hour. Now obviously , the Ithaca dollar can only be used in Ithaca New York, but the Ironic thing about it , is that one hour is 10 U.S dollars.

After lunch , We all came in for what was our last afternoon session , a somewhat emotional session. It was setup in as a Socratic seminar. We were all in a circle and what we talked about was all up to us. Many people had many interesting question. After about an hour , we were let out to go pack and finish up any necessities. I said goodbye to a lot of friends that were becoming close friends and couldn't seem to let a hug go. I ended up hugging Alana Rebbeck for over a minute long.

This was the hardest part of the day , so after I finished packing I ended up coming back for more hugs! After everything was over I felt bittersweet , but there were still more festivities to come. Summer discovery was throwing something that was similar to a drive-in movie. This was the last chance to bond with every one  before we all headed our separate ways.

Home Is Where My Bed Is

This morning I woke up to an unusually quiet dorm room. If it were any other day I'd be able to hear the hustle and bustle of people scurrying to the bathrooms before class. Not today though, today was departure day. I packed the last of my stuff and then went outside to take pictures with all of the new friends I made. Ian came to get us at about 9AM and we were off. It was actually kind of sad leaving the Penn campus once and for all. We left our luggage at Ian's hotel and went to do some last minute site-seeing. After being in Philadelphia for a month we decided we should probably see the Liberty Bell. We waited in a long line to see the magnificent bell and went to grab our last meal in Pennsylvania. We all sat around two small tables and shared many laughs and made more memories together before going to the airport.

The shuttle ride was rather quiet. I think everyone was trying to digest the fact that we were actually leaving. The plane ride home was a long six hours but I spent my time reading Freakanomics, a book lent to me by Ian, and watching the scenery slowly change from clouds to mountains to cities. We took one last group photo in our Penn sweatshirts before going to baggage claim. Once we reached baggage claim it was time to say "see ya later" rather than "goodbye". We all hugged and promised to stay in touch then we all went our separate ways.

There is no doubt in my mind that one day soon we'll all see each other again, but after spending more than a month together it is kind of hard to just walk away and return to "normal" life. I will miss Philadelphia and all of the people I met while there. While dorm living and university life were quite the experience, the moment I've been waiting for has finally approached, time to hop in the full-sized bed awaiting me just a few feet from where I sit.

Home Again, Home Again

Twelve hours ago, Christine and I were struggling to carry my two suitcases down the stairs so that I could check out of the dorms. Ten hours ago, I was at the Liberty Bell on a last-minute sightseeing mission. Eight hours ago, I was buying food with the rest of the Penn cohort at the Philadelphia airport. Now I have no roommate, no Philly, and no cohort, but I know that the memories of this experience will stay with me for a very long time.

After a lot of tearful goodbyes, we left the Fisher-Hassenfeld quad for the last time. Mr. Lawrence sweet-talked the front desk people at the Sheraton into watching our luggage for us while we took a quick trip downtown to see the Liberty Bell. There were a bunch of exhibits before the bell itself, discussing its forging and past uses. I was surprised that the exhibits mentioned the contrast between the declaration of liberty that the bell represented and the reality of oppression that women, African slaves, and other minority groups were facing at the time. It wasn’t something that I had expected to see at such a patriotic museum, and I appreciated the honesty.

Once we took pictures by the historic landmark, we bought lunch at a nearby food court. I got a Philly cheesesteak, my first ever. It wasn’t amazing, but I think that’s because it came from a food court instead of one of the famous restaurants. I’m just glad that I got a chance to try one before leaving Philadelphia.

Our plane ride was pretty uneventful. I spent most of the time reading Fast Food Nation, my summer reading assignment for AP Lang. Although I don’t usually read nonfiction, the subject matter is fascinating and I’m looking forward to class discussions about the book. We walked off of the plane to greet our parents, each of us proudly wearing UPenn sweatshirts. I’m going to miss being so close with everyone in the cohort, and even though we’ll hang out, it won’t be the same. I was really happy to see my family again, but I'm going to miss the independence that I had at UPenn and the friends that I made there. I'm so thankful that I had this opportunity to branch out and experience college life before beginning college apps, and words cannot express my gratitude to the ILC for making this possible.