Veni, Vidi, Vici

Campus North Residential Commons, where I stayed.

It was the final day at the University of Chicago, and I'm not entirely sure what I'll miss the most. There were so many things to love about being there. The people, the independence, the academics the scenery, the new things to do and explore every day were all contributing factors in making my memories of my time in Chicago something I will cherish forever. I'm usually not the most emotional of people, but the thought that I could never relive these three weeks brought a tear to my eye. My sister thought I would miss home after being away from the house for five weeks for the first time (two at a summer camp before the Chicago Immersion program), but I didn't, surprisingly. The only thing that I missed was my family. Home is not where the hearth is. You can learn to like any place you may stay, but people are what makes you love it. Home is where your family is, where your friends are, or wherever the people are that make your life unique.

One of my favorite spots on campus.

Anyway, enough with the sentimental stuff (did I mention that I'm bad at dealing with emotions?), and onto what actually happened. I woke up at 7:30 in the morning to have breakfast with and say my goodbyes to people with early flights. It's rather sad that I met few people from California, as I find it unlikely that I will be able to see the people scattered across faraway states again. Well, that is what texting is for, I suppose.

My friends took off at 9 to O'Hare, which left me a while to clean out the room, make sure I had everything, pack up, and head downstairs to check out before the Admiral came to pick us up at 10:30. I was ready at 9:40, so I took the extra time to explore campus and get my dad the Cards Against Humanity expansion pack that I had taken note of when we all went to get sweatshirts and check in with the Admiral. It is kind of stupid that I chose to explore twice in the 24 hours before I left instead of doing it early on so I had an idea of what cool places I could go to study or hang out. Better late than never, though, right?

The main plaza.

John came a little bit later than expected, as the driver had gotten lost, but we still had a huge time cushion for our flight at 1:20. The drive to the airport could not have been more than a half hour, and we shared with each other what we had thought of the Immersion program and Chicago in general. There were virtually no lines, which was kind of surprising for a Friday, but I guess people just like to fly out in the afternoon. Checking baggage and security were a breeze, and we had plenty of time to eat lunch and relax before boarding began.

The flight was around three hours, which still amazes me. We flew across two-thirds of the country, and it felt longer the last time I went there. I watched a few episodes of The Office and slept for an hour or two before we arrived.

Home sweet home.

Our shuttle was waiting for us as we arrived, and it was nice to have all of that space to ourselves. After another 30-40 minute drive, we were finally home. Or at least close to it. My house is only a few blocks away from El Cerrito High. We greeted our parents, took a few photos, and departed. I hung out with my parents for the rest of the day and talked about all everything that I had done and saw and learned. I wish my sister could have been there too, but sadly she was away, working at the camp that I had just left a few weeks prior. That's all I have for you right now, but there will be two more blogs, which you should check for on Tuesday and Thursday. Good night!