Our Adventure has Begun with Lockouts and Steakouts!

Today was the day the entire Columbia cohort was eagerly awaiting. Months of waiting and preparation have all led up to this point.  The night before I had done all my packing so everything was ready. My suitcases were filled as well as my carry on and personal bag.  I couldn't even sleep the night before because I was anxiously awaiting our departure.

I forced myself to wake up at 2:10 to ensure that I would have a lot of time to get myself up and ready for our departure.  I said my bittersweet goodbyes to my grandma and dad.   I know I am going to miss them on the trip but I know that I will come back an overall better person so it's worth it. My mom and I drove to El Cerrito High School and arrived there at about 3:05 AM. Once there the first thing I realized was that it was really cold.  I also realized that the weather is going to be very different in New York City; no more Bay Area cold only New York humid.

The entire Columbia cohort got in early so we were to quickly take a group picture and weigh all our items.  Most people were on time and things were going smoothly. The bus ride over to San Francisco International Airport was a nice and reflective period.  It gave me time to think of how I would miss those who I was leaving for about three weeks.  Also that I am actually fairly nervous about the program .  I want to have a great time which I hope I will have.

Once we arrived at the airport it was time to split the Columbia and Cornell cohorts.  They departed to a different terminal to go to Chicago while we carried on to the Virgin America terminal to go to John F. Kennedy International Airport.  Right when we got our luggage Bryan realized that he did not have his suitcase and someone from Cornell had his. After frantically trying to contact the Cornell people, we were finally able to get the right suitcase to the right person.  That was probably the most interesting thing to happen before the dinner.

We passed all the security checks and were able to buy food for the flight. Although the entire cohort was unable to sit together, we managed to sit relatively close together. Alas I was stuck with a middle seat but it was not too bad because I could still see out the window.  I think there is something so peaceful about looking out of windows. It is a perfect time to reflect, which I did.  I thought of how lucky we all are to be doing this and how excited I am for school tours and attending Columbia University.

Also the plane ride was a perfect time to write my blog even though I was fairly tired because I had only slept about two hours the night prior.  The plane ride was fairly uneventful so I could not wait for it to be over.  Once out of the airport, we were only stuck in New York traffic for about an hour and a half.  We were slightly lost but were finally able to make it to our wonderful hotel, the Beacon hotel.  It has everything one would need so someone could actually live there. It is so nice and I am extremely glad that we could get a room like this.  Even though Elena and I had difficulties getting in at first, after about 20 tries our room key finally opened the door. We were locked out of our room for a couple minutes, almost went down to the lobby but luck was on our side. It was well worth the hassle since the room was fantastic.

After getting settled in for about an hour, we headed off  to have dinner at Keen's Steakhouse.  I did not have high expectations because actually don't like steak that much.  Once inside, I immediately knew I was wrong about the place. It was simply breathtaking. There were pipes on the ceiling and on the walls.  The food was the most wonderful aspect because it was just so good! I did not realize I could enjoy filet mignon or a chocolate cake so much! 

One thing I realized today was the New York is truly beautiful.  The way the sun hits the buildings as it sets is awe inspiring. People walk by like it's nothing special but it's amazing to all of the outsiders like us. I know  that California is amazing and all, but New York has so many interesting aspects. I can not wait to see more of it and I really think that this will help me next year.  Just seeing the differences between New York and California has made me want to look out of the box regarding colleges; to look at colleges that are in New York or outside of California.  I think that it will be very interesting to have this outlook on college because it will give me more opportunity. It seems as though there is always something that is going on; it's the city that never sleeps. Well I simply can not wait for what tomorrow's adventures will have in store for us as we tour colleges and enjoy the city more! It's time to go because we have long days in front of us.