Its Only Seven O'Clock

Waking up at one in the morning was not my ideal way to start my day but I could not be happier because the day I had been waiting for had arrived.

We all huddled around each other for warmth as we received information about our itinerary. Speaking in a whisper to make sure not to wake the neighbors (considering it was 2:00 AM) we listen intently to Don while eyeing the Red Vines. 

In the distance we saw lights and we all hoped it was our shuttle. For a second we believed it was just a car passing but it was no ordinary person in the car it was, Kevin James (our amazing driver). Before hoping into the car we took a quick group photo. Thankfully Mr. James had kept the heater on while waiting for us to take our photo.

Flashing forward to our first flight departing from Oakland heading to Phoenix we found ourselves seated together. This was not the case for our next flight from Phoenix to Philadelphia. Yet all hope was not lost to keep our small group together, thanks to Julio our amazing flight attendant. He made sure to keep an eye out and allowed Kendra to move up to sit with me (Kendra and I had been slightly separated from the group).

After the four hour plane trip we finally landed in Philadelphia, which had a temperature of 95 degrees. I felt the change in temperature as soon as the plane had landed.

After making our way to our hotel (the Sheraton Philadelphia University City) we began the hunt for the perfect place to eat that would accommodate everyone. We settled on “The Axis” which had something for everyone. After ordering we sat at our table waiting when we see the plates come out I know my jaw dropped at the portion size. I ordered the Fettucine Alfredo with Chicken and I know it that my plate could have feed a family of four.

Once we had finished or attempted to finish we decided to head back to the hotel. While gathering our belongings we realized that it was only seven o’clock back home. 

Brown Departs!

It's been a very long year but at 3:23 AM on this day the last ILC cohort departed for Brown University where they'll be studying Women & Leadership.

The morning started off feeling much colder than the 56º that my digital thermometer read.  Perhaps it was the hefty breeze slicing through us all.

After weighing the luggage and affixing luggage tags I asked for a show of hands of our four young ladies and their chaperone asking who thought it was much too early and much too cold to be standing out in front of El Cerrito High School.  At first it was difficult to get a response--the cold in their bones prevented them from raising their hands.  When they broke through the cold, though, the response was unanimous:

Who thinks it's too early and too cold to be here?

Trying to keep the noise down to keep from offending the neighbors, I went through my normal spiel where I tried to impress upon these young ladies that this was the time when all of the hard work was going to pay off. It was five months back when they were selected to be the Brown cohort and since that time they've endured a structured Tutorial back in May, a dinner with sponsors and alums back in May, their presentation before the School Board in late May, an informal meet & greet event later in early June, the Orientation a few days later, and countless emails and texts from me trying to train and prepare them for this trip.  What they get from this trip should be life changing but the price they paid to get here was difficult, arduous and tested their mettle.

We talked about blogging, mastering the art of critical thinking, taking lots of pretty pictures, making new friends and absorbing everything so when they return they can tell every living soul they meet about what they've experienced and learned.

Before arriving at Brown in Saturday night, they'll visit the University of Pennsylvania for an official site visit. They were also scheduled for a tour of the campus but there is an extreme heat warning (Accuweather says it's supposed to be 89º but feels like 99º) so Penn has canceled the tour.  Instead, they'll put a very large group of people into a room where they'll talk to them about Penn. [Please let there be air conditioning.]

While in Philadelphia they're scheduled to visit the One Liberty Observation Deck, the Eastern State Penitentiary and, if the lines aren't too long, the Independence National Historic Park.

Adios.  Sayonara.  Hasta la Vista, Baby.

Along the way, we can expect daily blogs where the words coming from these young women will make us feel as if we are there with them.  I can't wait.

Two Years in the Making

The clock is counting down. I built this moment up in my head since I first learned about this amazing opportunity. I’ve double checked everything and then checked again.

I have said goodbye to my extensive list of pets. One of my cats, Purrsila, continues to follow me around everywhere.  I have reason to believe that she knows I will be leaving soon.

During my last check, I received an email from the University of Pennsylvania; containing a heat advisory. The sun and I do not have a very good track record so my mom and I ran out to make sure I had sunscreen before returning home.

Now I am checking my bags again, as I wait for this once in a lifetime trip. 

Preparations, Excitement, and a Whole Lot of Nervousness

It's the day before departure! Most of my hours has been spent resting and spending quality time with my pet, Jasper, before I leave the next day. We're scheduled to meet at El Cerrito High at precisely 2:15 AM or earlier, so I planned to take it easy and ensure that I'll be fully awake and energized when I arrive. I don't think I'll have to worry much about my energy levels though, I'm sure my adrenaline will keep me up until I go to departure.

Spending time with Jasper and relaxing in the sun

Unlike most of the other members in my cohort, I'm surprisingly not feeling nervous or anxious about the trip at all. I've been to so many vacations out of the country that I've gotten used to traveling. Most of my feelings for the trip have been positive so far. What excites me the most is the idea of learning in an environment suited for college students and adults. It may sound a little monotonous and simple, but I truly find the idea fascinating.

I've had my bags packed since two weeks ago and triple checked every requirement needed. The only items I still don't have are the things I'm borrowing from Don, which will be provided tomorrow. I've weighed my luggage only once during these few days, but I haven't added or taken out anything from within them. They also seem to fit the standard weight airport luggage should be, and I still have a lot of extra space within both of them.

My bags are packed and ready!

In all honesty, I still can't believe I've been given the opportunity to study at Brown for two weeks. I realized time really flew from the day I was selected during the interview to this moment. Our hard work and effort has paid off tremendously. I'll definitely make sure to value every second spent with my cohort!

And So it Begins

The day I have been waiting for since February has finally arrived. In just a few hours, I'll be on that plane headed to Philadelphia. I've spent the past two days packing, and if it weren't for my mom and Noor helping me all day yesterday, I would probably still be packing. As much as I would like to relax, I can't help but feel a bit anxious. I've checked and rechecked my bags, and every time I try to relax, I would remember something else to do. Surprisingly, my luggage is at 40 pounds despite the amount of stuff a packed, so that's great. Now, I am finally (hopefully) all prepared and am now just waiting for the time to pass by.

If I were to describe how I feel, it would probably be bittersweet. The past 5 months, I have felt nothing but excitement every time I would think about going to Brown; however, now that the time is finally here, I feel a mix of emotions. I feel slightly anxious, a bit queasy, but mostly impatient. These next few hours are going to go by incredibly slow, and I most likely will take a nap. I would really just like to get past all the flying and have the trip begin, but I guess that's why they say patience is a virtue.

Despite all the thoughts I've been having of what could go wrong, I have no doubt that I am going to have an amazing time at Brown. What I've dreamt of doing the past two years is finally becoming a reality, and I really can't wait. I hope to grow throughout this course and come back changed, for the better of course.

Tick..Tock..Tick..Tock..

All day I’ve been checking my packing lists twice, making sure I don’t forget anything important. I’ve weighed my bag a few times and I’m confident that I won’t have to awkwardly unpack things at El Cerrito later tonight. I keep on compulsively checking the clock, and I have that nervous feeling you get right before something big is about to happen. I’ve also been super excited and dancing around my house to music. I’ve been looking forward to this opportunity for so long now, and now that’s it’s here I’m not sure how to react. I’m so restless I have no idea how I’m going to get any sleep.

My cat Oliver has been so frustrated with me lately, since I’ve been busy packing and haven’t had the time to really give him a lot of attention. Earlier today when I left the room and came back he protested by sitting on top of my suitcase. He’s also been meowing like crazy all day. I think he knows now that when a suitcase comes out of the garage, someone’s leaving.

Oliver protesting against my departure.

I spent my last day in California going out to eat at one my most favorite restaurants in the Bay. Café Colucci! It’s an Ethiopian restaurant in Oakland that I have to go to at least every other month or so. So many different spices and flavors are blended into the cooking and every time I take a bite I go on an adventure of different flavors. It is absolutely delicious! I would recommend anyone to at least try it once!

Two weeks from now I hope to come back a different me. A stronger, more enlightened me. And I hope that when I do come back that I can share all of my newly acquired knowledge with others in my community. I’ll probably be looking back on these blogs, and thinking about how much I’ve changed.

Brick Wall Initiation

A few weeks ago, our cohort went to Color Me Mine. When we arrived, I could not decide what to get between all the mugs, plates, and the many animals. Yet, one repeatedly caught my eye; it was a bulldog. After picking him out, the next step was to pick out our colors (which is not as easy as it sounds).

I decided on paler colors and went with a gray for the base, a red collar, black to outline his features, blue and green for his eyes, and a small heart in red. Seeing the finished product, I realized that the three layers of gray paint were not enough but overall, he came out better than I could have hoped.

Considering most of our cohort pictures revolve around a red brick wall I thought it was fit to initiate him into the Brown Cohort with his own brick wall pictures.