The Beacons are Lit! The Beacons are Lit!

Today was the first real day of Ivy League Connections. It has been a long and very tiring day of traveling, carrying baggage around, and doing LOTS of sitting. But today was also one of the greatest days of my life. Today marked the beginning of a life changing experience for me and my cohort and I am so excited that my cohort all gets along really well.

This sight is what made me realize how excited I really was.

I woke up early, at 2:30 AM. Not unlike a zombie I got dressed and put my bags in our car. My mom drove me to El Cerrito High where Don was waiting for us. Our luggage was weighed and Don took some last group shots of all of us together, with a particularly lovely shot of Emily Cain. Finally at 4:30 AM a tour bus came to pick us up and we loaded our bags on and waved goodbye to our parents as the bus pulled out of the parking lot.

Once we got the airport there was a small crisis involving students from different cohorts taking the wrong bags out of the bus. Rushing through the airport terminals the crisis was quickly resolved and we were ready to depart for New York. The plane was nice, but since our tickets were bought recently, there was little room left in the plane so most of us were all scattered around the plane. Being completely awake by the time the flight took off, I decided to spend the majority of my time with the in flight screen on the back of the seat in front of me. Watching what appeared to be a marathon of Law and Order: SVU I got a slightly negative viewpoint on New York City which may not have been the BEST show to watch, but it helped pass the time. After hitting some heavy turbulence on the way down we finally touched down at JFK International Airport in New York!

The view from inside the van!

We were picked up by a van at the airport. We all piled in and almost immediately got caught in some good old New York traffic. I was a little thankful for the traffic, because I could take some extra time to look around me. Everyone in the van was silent. Though I cannot speak for the rest of my cohort I spent the silent time taking in the views. I watched as brick buildings, houses, gas stations, road signs, and eventually skyscrapers all passed us by. And I realized just how excited I was to be in one of the largest cities I have ever seen. I made sure to start photographing immediately. After a van trip to the hotel Beacon (not unlike the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland), we were finally able to get an hour of rest. The Beacon hotel rooms are very nice, with two rooms and very big air conditioners. Thankfully the weather here, though slightly gloomy, is not too hot to be unbearable. I am rooming with Bryan and we have divided up our space evenly so far! At about 7:45 PM we got into our suits and ties and headed to the lobby, it was time for the moment we had all been looking forward to all day...dinner at Keen’s Chop House.

The beautiful steak that Margaret and I shared.

Since today was mostly a travel day, I think the highlight of the day was Keen’s. This was one of the most unique restaurants I think I have ever been to. The ceilings were decorated with thousands of pipes on the ceilings. Pictures, political cartoons, newspaper articles, and paintings decorated the walls. I was sitting next to Margaret and we both almost immediately decided that the chateaubriand for two was an excellent option. Probably the first time I have ever shared food in my life, I think this was an excellent dinner choice. The steak was tender and flavorful, especially when combined with the red wine and mushroom sauces. We all shared dessert at the end of the meal: splitting the key lime pie, the New York cheesecake, and the fudge cake. Everything was amazing, and I think this meal was a perfect way to jump start into New York City. 

New York at night time!

Today was a long and very slow paced day. But once we all reached New York it started speeding up and turned out to be a fantastic day. From seeing the sunset through the buildings, taking the subway, and a very bumpy van ride, to ordering an expensive and delicious meal and taking a walk through the Upper West side, I am so excited to be a part of this program and I am ready to wake up early and take on tomorrow!