Penn Departs

It was unusually warm at 2:45 AM when the first member of the UPenn cohort arrived to El Cerrito HS to go through the last minute procedures associated with Departure Day.

Most of the cohort arrived on time with one testing the forgiveness factor by arriving a few minutes late.  It’s tough to chew out a cohort member for being late, though, when the chaperone arrives 20 minutes late.  At that hour of the morning, though, it’s much too early to be heavy handed.

The group went through the normal ritual of affixing their luggage tags, grabbing trash bags (for those wet towels), and weighing their luggage.

Some of the bags were super light while a couple were perilously close to the limit.  One bag, though, topped the maximum allowed by more than 5 pounds.  This required some quick reshuffling with the owner deciding if she really needed everything she had in the bag (she didn’t).  Goods were transferred from the check-in bag to the carry-on and with a bit of judicious decision making the bag made the cut.

Last minute instructions were given which included a plea to remember what they were taught about proofing and formatting their blogs so as to avoid the inevitable emails begging them not to force me to work so hard to correct their errors.

They were reminded to send in their room descriptions so future ILCers might know what to expect.

And they were reminded of the need to listen to the advice/instructions of their chaperone and ILC administrators.  In particular, they were challenged about mastering Time Management.  They were all advised to get plenty of rest before this trip, to start going to bed earlier to adjust to the difference in the time zones and, in particular, to get to bed early the night before Departure Day.  Getting up at 2:30 AM is tough for most people but getting up that early after staying up late to blog is even tougher.  Several of the blogs were posted right before midnight so there’s no getting around the lack of sleep of these young people.

Tomorrow they get to rise around 4 AM (2 AM our time) so we know they’re going to have a tough time with that.

One of the bigger fears the ILC has is that the ILCers will wear themselves out before they start their classes and this is why we try to prepare them for the difference in the time zones as well as the dawn to dusk running around.  We shall see how the Penn cohort fares.

The group headed off to the side to take the group photos before boarding their airport shuttle.  The shuttle arrived early so at 4:17 there was nothing left of them but the memory of the tail lights on the distance.  As this blog is being posted, their plane is somewhere headed east as they head for Houston where in a few hours they will pay a site visit to Rice University.  Tomorrow it will be Atlanta and Emory and Friday they’ll be eating at Distritos in Philadelphia.

We may envy them this adventure but right now they’re envying the fact that most of their fans are still snuggled in their beds catching a few more zzz’s--which is where I’m off to in 2 minutes.

The World is a Book, and Those Who Do Not Travel Read Only One Page

Today I woke up with the plan of finishing up my packing. From the very beginning of planning out what to pack, I was afraid of over packing. It would be a big bother to travel to the East Coast with a lot of clothing/accessories that I don't need. 

I was pretty calm as I finished up my packing and chores. I was in the middle of cleaning my room when I received the final itinerary list email from Don. I think that's when it finally hit me that this is actually happening. Who would ever think that an average girl like me would get the chance to study at a top notch Ivy League School, TWICE. It's too crazy to wrap my head around, but it's actually happening. 

Of course the usual nerves are kicking in and I'm overthinking everything. I wonder if making friends would be hard to do, or whether my class will be completely over my head. I've learned to accept these anxieties as part of my psyche, however, it does get tiresome having to worry about every little thing all the time. 

As I complete each task, I text some of my cohort members just to make sure I haven't forgotten anything crucial during my packing process. I've already began to see my cohort members as family. Yesterday, Joanne, Jun, and Justeen and I were able to get together to see Inside Out in the theater. After the movies Jun, Justeen, and I kept the party going with a nice trip to the mall. We got water bottles to keep hydrated when we travel and we also got our eyebrows done. 

Peace California

All in all, I am very excited for this new chapter in my life. There is no doubt that this trip will change and shape me to be the person that I am meant to be. I'm excited to learn more about our society in my Social Justice class, and most of all, I am so excited to blog every night and share my adventures with everyone.

Houston here I come

It is finally sinking in, I'm on my way to the University of Pennsylvania!!!! I've been counting down the days and now I'm at the end. At this exact moment I have one day, seventeen hours and twenty-eight minutes until, I catch the plane to my first stop in Houston, Texas.

I finished all of my packing on Sunday. It took two luggage's to hold all of my things. Luckily, we are flying Southwest and they allow two check-ins. I like traveling yet I don't like flying that much. Not that I have flight anxiety or anything, I just get slightly uneasy. After, being in the air for a while the uneasiness settles. I believe that when I get on the plane this time it isn't going to be unease its going to be anxiousness due to traveling to a totally new area. I'm so excited!!!!!!

These last couple of days I have been spending time with my family. My sisters, especially, we've watched  movies and played games. I've never been so far away from home for so long, but I'm happy to have this chance before I actually go to college.  The reason being is that I would be gone longer than three weeks. This gives me an opportunity to be able to feel homesick. But, I plan to call them every day and Skype them as much as possible.



Today, I woke up feeling so excited but nervous at the same time. I spent time with my mom and grandma all day, we went to Berkeley. I was happy but sad at the same time because I'm not going to be able to say goodbye to my grandma when she leaves.


I'm just grateful to be able to have this opportunity and receive this experience.  I'm so excited , I can't believe I am getting to do something like this. Thank you everyone who has made this possible.

THE TIME HAS COME!!!

Woke up this morning to pack my bags, with the realization that the time has come I was feeling all tingly inside. I went to drop off my younger sister off to summer school with a warm feeling. I had been dropping her off for two weeks so I was used to doing so and I thought to myself, I am going to miss my little sister and this morning routine we have. Then I got home and continued packing, I then took a break, ate breakfast, and took a shower. When I finished taking my shower I remembered to pack all the bed and body needs. I was set! 

I went to say goodbye to my loved ones, went over to my uncle's house and said bye to my cousins and grandma. Then I went over to Berkeley and hanged out with my girlfriend and her family for the afternoon, I said goodbye and came home. Finally I went to drop off my grandma at San Francisco and I got home and am going to sleep, READY FOR TOMORROW!!!! THE START OF AN ADVENTURE THAT WILL CHANGE MY LIFE FOREVER! 

Are We There Yet???

"Are we there yet?" is a classic question that kids ask in movies and on the road. Even though the day is almost here, it feels so close yet so far. Just 5 more hours until we meet up at El Cerrito High School.

Unlike some of the other ILCers, I did not attend any programs last year so I don't know if what I packed is enough. I filled my day up with packing for the trip and doing some last minute shopping.  A couple hours ago, Don emailed us an itinerary of our whole trip and I got to say it's looking fabulous. Everything is looking fabulous. A terrible habit of mine is that I usually tend to over pack and I like to bring 2 extra pairs of whatever clothing I need; hopefully that won't cause my suitcase to weigh more than 50 pounds. I remember an ILCer told me that I should leave extra room for the stuff that I will be bringing back from my trip because I will definitely be bringing home more stuff than I began with. 

Even though I'm done packing my suitcase, I get this feeling that I'm missing something and it's something important but I don't know what it is. But whatever it is, hopefully it's not of much importance because if I didn't bring it, then I can just buy it when I get there. Now I just have to pack my backpack and sleep because I have to wake up at 2:30 AM. Hopefully none of us will be late and will not have to face the wrath of Don because everyone knows that it isn't pretty. I will see my fellow cohort at 3:15 AM. 

Although I have been very independent since the age of 5, I can't help but to think that I will be feeling homesick because this is the longest time that I have been away from home. But in the real world, there is not going to be someone who will hold my hand wherever I go. This is the time for me to really see what true independence is and what college life is like. 

The Wait is Finally Over!

At last, the long awaited trip to the East coast has finally come! Tomorrow’s finally the day that I’ll be able to experience something I would have never imagined. I still find it unbelievable that I am a part of this program. Ever since I made it through the interview phase, I’ve been imagining how this trip would turn out, and tomorrow my dreams will finally become a reality.

Packed and ready to go!

As I sit back, and look at my luggage, I can’t help but feel extremely calm. At this point, I should be running around, and freaking out about tomorrow, but I am completely relaxed at the moment. This is the first year that I will actually be travelling without my parents, but I couldn't be happier. The only thing that I am truly worried about is whether or not I packed too much. I'm only going to be bringing two pieces of luggage, but I feel as though I have packed way too much, and that my check-in bag is far too big. Let's just hope that everything will go smoothly tomorrow. 

Since I have to arrive at El Cerrito High School by 3:15 AM, I am definitely setting more than five alarms to ensure I'll wake up on time. This is extremely early for me, considering the fact that I usually wake up at 10 AM, but then again, it’s my fault, since I sleep at around 1 AM. Anyways, once everyone arrives at El Cerrito, we’ll be heading to the airport by 4 AM. Thanks to Don, we have our itinerary for the next couple of days. Although it seems overwhelming to be going on a plane everyday, I know that what we would learn would make our sleep deprivation worth it. 

I am definitely going to miss my family, and my home, but I feel like I'm ready to spend a month away from them, and finally see what it feels like to be truly independent. I can't express how excited I am, because I have literally been waiting for this moment for months. Finally, the wait is over, and I can just relax and go to sleep as I await for tomorrow to come.

Ready, Set, Go!

As I'm writing this blog, the smell of horse manure from the stable across the street enters my room in a friendly way. Boy, am I going to miss this smell for a month!

The day has finally arrived for us to depart. In a few hours I'll be meeting up with my companions for this summer study trip. Soon Don will be checking to see if everyone has their identification and medical cards. Soon I will be saying goodbye to my parents for 25 days. Very soon, I will be travelling as a responsible adult. Because this will be my second time participating in the Ivy League Connection, the the mistakes I made last year will be beneficial to my success this year.

What I had learned last year was to not pack 5 jackets. I did not need all those jackets in a place where it is over 90 degrees. This has made my packing way easier and more efficient as I packed for the weather this time. Still, bringing a light jacket is a necessity.

Don says that a good toiletry kit is essential. Yes, it is. Very. Last year I thought that bringing one would only be a hassle and a plastic bag would be enough to carry my shampoo and conditioner. It figures that you need more than just your shampoo and conditioner when you take a shower in a humid, dirty stall. I'm going to follow Don's advice once and for all and invested in a sturdy bag to carry everything. Lets see how that goes. It will most likely be better than carrying my plastic toiletry bag in one hand and a laundry bag in the other while putting a bath towel on my shoulder. Yes, way better.

To make things go a little smoother and quicker for tomorrow morning (3:15AM), I am going to weigh my awesome luggage and make sure they aren't over the Southwest Airlines limit. This was a critical point that people missed last year. Someone had a luggage over 55lbs and thus resulted in her saying bye-bye to her favorite stilettos with everyone staring at her. I'll make sure tomorrow that if I sob, I'll sob for not seeing my parents for a month and not my favorite scented 27fl oz body wash.

Ready!

A Dinner With my Peers, the First of Many!

Left, Zachary's : Right Book Store

Tuesday, such a wonderful Tuesday it was. Woke up to a great start, took a shower then got dressed and ready to go to sf with my mother to leave finger prints. We came back home around 1 O’clock I was in aa great mood keeping in mind that I had to be at Zachary’s no later than 5:50 p.m. I came home and I went on YouTube to watch videos about car engineering. After a while I finished some homework for history class and took a nap because I was exhausted. I put three alarms to make sure I would wake up on time. I woke up around 4:30 p.m. I looked up the address while I was getting ready for the dinner. I left early around 5:15 p.m. with a smile on my face and a hunger for pizza pie. I grabbed the keys and headed out with time on my side I drove extra calmly and safely with the radio in low volume and the wind on my face I was ready.

I ended up getting to Zachary’s at 5:35 p.m. and so I went to the book store next door that john had recommended the evening before. That is where I found a book that I would have bought if I had the money with me. An old photography book full of black and white pictures taken with one light source, I fell in love with the book as soon as I looked at the size of the pictures and the detail. All I could think of was, “I want to draw all these pictures in charcoal!” I sat down to view the pictures and every picture was taken perfectly to make a charcoal drawing of them. I checked my phone for the time and it was 5:50 p.m. I left the book in the shelf I got it from and went to Zachary’s on my way out I saw Jun and Justeen crossing the street, I was excited because I wasn’t the only one waiting and said joined them. Right before we got into Zachary’s we saw Elexis come. She joined us and we walked in together, with john nowhere to be seen we ordered a table for 7 which we soon corrected to 8 upon the arrival of our alumni who was joining us.

Jun's Tasty Creation!

We didn’t wait long before john arrived; with the table and seats ready we went and sat down. Chiamaka and Joanne came in later and joined us. We all agreed upon two deep dish pizza pies, the Carne and the chicken, with the addition an experimental awesome invention from Jun, a jalapeno, pesto and salami pizza, YUM. During the dinner we all got to know each other better. We also got to know more about our upcoming adventure at UPenn. We were told many things by our alumni who was kind enough to come and share the evening with us. He told us about his experience at UPenn and gave me and Justeen a heads up about the chilly temperature in the science building. With every detail mentioned my excitement grew. I couldn’t believe how blessed I was to be able to go and spend my summer traveling and learning physics, a dream coming true, I wouldn’t have imagined in my wildest dream as a kid that I would actually get the chance to do this in high school. AWESOME!

It was a wonderful experience to sit down, eat, and talk with my peers who I will spend most of my summer with before we leave. we talked about everything from superheroes to AP scores, from Pizza to Philly Cheese stakes sandwiches, and from hotel room arrangements to events we could sign up for during our time at UPenn. Time flew by and it was soon 7:40 p.m. we had all finished our dinner and were having a conversation about the upcoming trip and how we would have to be at El Cerrito at 3 a.m. With a phone call from my mom I knew it was time for me to leave. I said goodbye to everyone and went to pick up my sisters at my outs house then headed home. I am very grateful to everyone who makes this possible because I know this will be my best summer yet!

Deep Dish Among UPenn's Cohort

I got a little taste of the "Windy City" or the "Chill Town". For those of you who are unaware those are nicknames for Chicago, Illinois. The taste I received were several slices of Chicago-style pizza. ( Don't judge me though.) Our bay area patch of the "Chill town" was Zachary's pizza which is located in Berkeley, California. I have never been nor have I heard of Zachary's before, but one thing I can say is that for my first time trying it they did not disappoint.

Best Deep Dish In Town!!!!!!

As we go and we grow, we learn something new about someone or something everyday. A new thing I learned today was that Jun has a very unique type of taste. As we were eating she shared with me that she can eat a lemon like an orange which is pretty cool and I also learned that she likes her food really spicy. But, then again we have a very agreeable cohort so spiciness was not an issue for the majority of us. I also learned that John is a "foodie" which is awesome because he will always know all the amazing places to eat. 

During our dinner we discussed multiple topics dealing with the East Coast and Pennsylvania itself. For example, we discussed the difference in weather, even though to me it sounds just like bay area and California in general. The reason I believe it is the same is because in places like Sacramento, Antioch, Fresno, etc. it can get up to 100° degrees while in Richmond it is a cool 70°. Mike a former ILCer told us that most of the time when it rains it is still warm outside mean while our dorms are freezing.A freezing dorm isn’t bad when it is scorching hot outside but when you aren’t used to very cool temperatures it can be a problem.

Mike did a great job at describing what we should expect from the weather, he was very detailed. He told us about the outings Penn offered and how he would go on everyone that was available. Mike did an amazing job at raising my excitement for the trip.

Between the food,weather,travel,adventure,curriculum and overall experience I can not wait to go. I am so grateful for having received this opportunity.

Dinner Time Bonding

One day down, 29 more to go! What a way to kick off June. Yesterday we had the ILC orientation for the details of our trip, and today was the dinner with our cohort, as well as our chaperone and an ILC alumni. We had originally planned on having this dinner in May, however, due to our conflicting schedules, we pushed it all the way back to today. Mr. Hillyer, our chaperone, had suggested that we eat at Zachary's, and everyone agreed, so off we went.

Since my mom didn't like driving to unfamiliar places, she dropped off at Jun's house and I hitched a ride with her. Shortly after arriving at her house, we then headed straight to Zachary's. I haven't even heard of this place before, but I was sure that it would be good, because you can never go wrong with pizza.

Jun and I arrived at around 5:50 PM, where we also saw Rudy and Elexis waiting at the front. Surprisingly, we arrived before Mr.Hillyer, but it was no big deal because he shortly arrived after us. The inside of Zachary's was actually surprisingly small. Seating a group of 8 seemed like a difficult task, but our waiter somehow managed. Jun, Elexis, and I sat on the left side of the table, while Mark, an alumni from the ILC, Joanne, and Chiamaka sat on the right, and Rudy and Mr. Hillyer sat on the ends. 

Zachary's deep dish special

Most of our group was feeling rather adventurous today, so we decided to try Jun's special concoction of a pizza made with pesto, jalapenos, and salami. Surprisingly, it tasted pretty good. Even before the rest of our pizza arrived, we were already talking and enjoying each other's company. Mr. Hillyer talked about his past experiences with the ILC, while Mike talked about his summer at Penn. One thing that they both mentioned often was the weather. They said that it would be hot, hot, hot, so I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for this. There was never an awkward moment of silence at our table, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Once our pizza had finally arrived, I was amazed at how massive the deep dish pizza was, and I was only able to eat one slice of it! By the end of dinner, we simply sat and talked some more, in order to give our stomachs a chance to breathe. Shortly after, Rudy and Joanne left, so our group decided to explore the area. There were several other restaurants nearby, and there was even a bookstore that had a jazz band inside! We stayed inside until Elexis had to leave, then we continued walking around. After Elexis, Jun and I were the next to leave.

At the bookstore next to Zachary's

I'm actually glad that we had this dinner before our flight on July 1st, because it gave us a chance to get to know each other more, as well as hear about the experiences at Penn. At first I thought that it would be awkward everyone, but our cohort is filled with amazing people, and I'm positive that we won't have any difficulties with getting along. In fact, I believe we'll all be good friends after all of this, and I couldn't be happier to share this experience with them. I feel like this dinner brought us closer together, even just a little.

Picture time with Elexis and Jun