moving on.

As the semester winds down, I find myself looking back and re-evaluating the past four months. Turned in my last paper of the semester today, so that's why I look like a hot mess. Naptime, here I come! I honestly can't believe that tomorrow is my last day of class! It's ridiculous how quickly this semester went by; I can't believe I'm almost done with my first year at Cal. As much as I'm going to miss being in LA over the summer, I'm really glad I get the opportunity to spend the summer up in Berkeley and the Bay Area. I think it'll be really good for me.

I keep thinking about everything that's happened since the end of fall semester. Going to Israel, meeting some of my closest friends in Berkeley, taking some of my favorite classes at Cal, getting really involved in CalTV, going through some of the most difficult times up here, breaking up with you-know-who, getting closer with my family, deciding to give law school a shot, writing more often, taking more pictures, eating amazing food, listening to a lot more Simon & Garfunkel, my first Seder away from home, cooking more often, studying at Sacks, obsessing over Cheeseboard, etc etc. It wasn't an easy semester by any means; there were a lot of ups and downs. I made some of the toughest decisions of my life, but lately I keep getting reminded of how I've made the best choices possible. No regrets at all. And honestly, I'm the happiest I've ever been, which I didn't think I'd be saying anytime soon. I've got the best friends in the world, both in LA and in Berkeley, and I'm studying what I love and I'm just doing really, really well. It's been an amazing semester on so many levels, and I can't wait to see what's in store. I've still got to get through finals and the LSAT before summer can really start, but I'm excited regardless. Hooray for making it through another semester, I cannot believe I only have two more before I *gulp* graduate...crazy!

all the small things.

I was all set to write a huge post yesterday looking back, but of course it was the one day this week that I wasn't home at ALL. It was one of the best days I've had at Berkeley--class, a waterfight on Memorial Glade with CalTV people, talking to a professor about a paper I'm excited to write (on Harold and Maude!), Cheeseboard, gelato, and the movies! I was exhausted (I was out from 8am-10pm) but it was so worth it.

This morning, I woke up and had an unexpected email in my inbox.

***

LOVE! from self :D

Dear FutureMe,

april 23, 2009. the night before i find out about ucla, the night before my life changes. a week before i find out about berkeley, my dream school.

right now, it's 5:11 on a thursday afternoon. i locked my keys in my car today, and my friend (preny, from scholars, remember her?) had to drive me home to get my spare and then take me back to school. i have a russian history and a spanish midterm tomorrow, and i'm freaking out. and ucla starts to announce tomorrow...and berkeley next week... god, i really hope i end up going to berkeley, it's all i've ever wanted.

a year from now, i don't know where i'll be...but hopefully happy and satisfied with life. wherever i end up...remember that i'm good and smart and kind and there's so much more to life than school.

i'm single right now, perhaps i won't be a year from now. that's weird to think about, but who knows?

remember,
things happen for a reason, even if it takes time to figure it out. i never wanted to go to gcc but i did and it was the best decision of my life.

love yourself!

love,
yourself ;)

***

There's this website, called FutureMe.org, where you can write an email to yourself and have it sent to your inbox a year or more from now. I had totally forgotten that I had ever even heard of this site, until I got the email this morning.

It's funny to read. I remember how nervous I was, how I couldn't eat or sleep or study. I started my blog! And the first entry was about how nervous I was about waiting for UCLA to announce their results. I got into UCLA, and was ecstatic; finally, things seemed to be going my way. The week waiting for Berkeley to announce was the longest, most excruciating week of my life, especially because I knew the day and the time they were going to post. That day, I was a mess. I remember I went to the doctor's that day, and that was the only thing that really distracted me. I remember coming home, grabbing my laptop, and going to the living room. "Mom," I said, "it's time. And I really don't want to look." My mother reminded me that I had to check, and no matter if I had gotten into Cal or not, I had made her the proudest mother in the world. There was the frantic turning on of the computer, fumbling over the keyboard as I typed in the all-too familiar website with the information that would change my life. I remember reading the word "Congratulations" and not being able to breathe and starting to cry, despite myself. I had gotten into my dream school, I had done it, and every hardship that I went through to get there had been validated in an instant.

It's been a year, and I can definitely say that I'm happier than I've ever been, as well as satisfied with my life. It's a year later, and I just signed up for an LSAT class and I'm getting ready for life post-college. It's so weird to think that it's only been a year since coming to Berkeley, it honestly feels like a lifetime. I still think I'm a good person (though let's be honest, I'm biased), and I'm pretty smart, and yes, there IS so much more to life than school! Something I have to remind myself frequently, but it's an undeniable truth.

As far as being single, yeah, still am. But within this past year I was in my first serious relationship, and I fell head over heels. We were together for a large part of that year, but it's over now. That's still weird to think about, but I grew up so much and am a better person for everything I went through. Funny how I would have never predicted it, though...funny how life works sometimes.

Things really do happen for a reason, that's something I've always believed. Everything comes together and falls into place and it's that thought that gets me through the hard days and sleepless nights. Everything will be okay in the end, and I'm a better person for not always having it easy (though again, I've got to say I've got some of the most amazing things going on in my life and as "stressful" as my life is, I'm really lucky to be in school studying something I love). I've gone through a lot, but that's the point--I've gotten through it, and I'm okay.

Love yourself--trust me, I'm trying. It's a lifelong process, but I'm learning.

I'd definitely suggest sending yourself an email, see how much things change for you in a year. It's a good feeling to look back, and to see how much you've grown. It put a smile on my face and it's going to make enjoying this lovely day in the northern California sunshine that much better.

Happy birthday, blog! And congratulations on a good year, self, here's to many, many more. Cheers!

orientation and related musings.

I had written up an entire blog about CalSO (the new student orientation) but I deleted it; it felt too wordy without saying anything. CalSO went well, it was a long (12 hour) day with WAY too much information but by the end of the day, I was sure of a few things:
-I desperately want to be a Media Studies major
-the campus is ridiculously hilly
-there is SO MUCH to learn
-the people there really, truly admire transfer students, and will do anything to accommodate them and make sure they don't feel left out
-the College of Letters & Sciences having a 13unit minimum is seriously weird (why not 12??)
-good shoes/socks are a must
-a LOT of cute fellas
-community college DID prepare me for Cal
-I'm going to be okay living there
-I made the right choice regarding what school to go to

This summer has flown by, and to think I only have a month before I move is ridiculous. There's so much to do and not enough time! Also, the fact that I know the next time I'll be in LA will be Thanksgiving makes me want to explore my city even more.

I've been thinking about the way things panned out a lot lately. I didn't want to go to a community college, but as they say, hindsight is 20/20 and I can definitely say that going to a CC was the best decision I've ever made. If I didn't, I'd be at CSUN or at the Los Angeles Film School...definitely not on my way to the the best public university in the country. Not that there's anything wrong with those two options, but they just weren't right for me. I've met some of the most amazing and some of the most terrible people the last couple of years, and both sets have taught me valuable lessons in honesty, compassion, kindness, and group leadership. It was a hard couple of years, not knowing where I was going to end up, but the uncertainty was totally worth it.

To any of you going through the CC system...don't give up. It's a good system, once you know how to navigate it, and it's one that's there to work for you. Trust me, you'll make it, and you'll be a better person for it.