Back in the Bay

After the three amazing and unforgettable weeks spent in Chicago, yesterday came the day we finally returned to California. My day began early in the morning so I could finish packing and say goodbye to Kathy, my roommate, who had an earlier flight. Every day for the last few weeks Kathy and I have shared the ups and downs of our courses and worked through them together. Knowing I would never have that with her again made her departure sad to witness and her absence left our room feeling eerily empty. Still, I am so happy to have met her and I know we will stay in touch to continue working through our ups and downs.

After saying goodbye to Kathy and finishing my packing, I headed downstairs shortly before checkout time which was at 9 AM. Walking through Campus North for the last time reminded me of all the great memories made there. I recalled everything from the time spent with friends in the Thangaraj lounge to the late nights studying in the West Commons. Remembering these experiences brought a smile to my face as they changed this big strange building into home and me from an overwhelmed and scared student into a motivated and hardworking one. 

Everyone waiting in the lobby of Campus North

In the lobby, I met up with Adela, who would also be leaving soon, and Maria, who had one more day before her class ended but was waiting to send us off. We spent our last few moments together eating breakfast and remembering our favorite memories of the program. Sadly, the time soon came to say goodbye when Adela’s chaperone came to take her to the airport and Maria had to head to class. We gave each other goodbye hugs, told each other how much we would miss one another but promised to keep texting. 

After they had both left, I met up with Maxime, Shreejal, and Isaac to wait for John and the shuttle that would take us to the Midway airport. Once the shuttle arrived, we loaded our luggage and spent most of our time on the ride to the airport reflecting on our experiences made here in Chicago. At the airport, everything went off without a hitch. We checked our luggage, went through security, and got something to eat before finally boarding the plane home. 

Once we landed in Oakland, our trend of everything going great in airports continued. We got our luggage and boarded the shuttle that would take us back to El Cerrito High School. On the ride there, I admired the beauty of the Bay and realized just how happy I was to be back in it. 

My mom and I

Upon our arrival at El Cerrito, I was welcomed by my mom who gave me a big hug as soon as I stepped off the shuttle. My mom means the world to me and has been with me through everything. Finally getting to be with her brought me a great sense of relief and happiness because I was finally home. 

We were also welcomed home by Don who ended our trip in true ILC fashion, by taking pictures.

Our last cohort picture