The Countdown Begins

As I lay in my bed enjoying my summer, I began thinking about how time is going by so quickly. When my semester had ended, I thought that this would be the longest summer I would have to endure because my trip to the East coast seemed like a faraway dream, but time is moving faster than I had expected. 

Tonight was the night of our final ILC event, which was hard to believe. Since I was afraid of coming late, I actually came at 30 minutes early, and once I arrived at Pinole Middle School, I began walking towards the multipurpose room. I signed in and sat down at one of the tables near the front of the room. One by one, the room started to become filled with the ILC participants, as well as their parents. It was amazing to see how many people were actually in the room.

A few of the loaner items

Since I came earlier than everyone, I had some time to look at a few items that Don had laid out on a separate table. There were several things that ranged from blankets, to portable fans, and I honestly wondered if all of those items would actually fit in my suitcase. I didn't even know how big my suitcase should be, but luckily Don had also put out several suitcases as examples.

The meeting itself was very informative, because I was clueless as to how I should even prepare for this trip. Once Don finished with the introductions of everything, each cohort then went to different rooms, and our chaperones further discussed the details of our trips. For the PENN cohort, our chaperone, Mr. Hillyer, as well as several ILC alumni enthusiastically spoke about their past experiences when they traveled to the East coast, which made me even more excited for what's to come. I just keep on imagining myself inside the dorms or the classrooms, as I hear more stories about others’ experiences.

The wonderful chaperones

On July 1st, I would actually be getting on an airplane to our first stop in Texas. Afterwards, we would be heading over to Pennsylvania to visit Vanderbilt, as well enjoy the 4^th of July in Philadelphia. In theory, everything seems so structured and organized, but I’m just hoping that my first few days won’t be too hectic, seeing that we have so many places to visit with so little time.

After learning about the details of where we would be traveling to and what to expect once we arrive, everyone joined up again in the multipurpose room, where Don talked about what exactly we should be bringing. I'm actually really thankful that the ILC is able to loan so many items to students, and it really is helpful for everyone. 

I am so thankful for this amazing opportunity that I have been given, and I will definitely not waste it. Knowing that I get to attend a course at UPENN in a month is something that I never even thought I would be doing. After having this meeting, I can finally know what to expect, and how to prepare for everything. At last, the countdown of the days until I takeoff begins. 

The lovely UPENN cohort