In California

As soon as I started to get bored and restless, life speed up so fast that I can’t believe it is already so late in June. The first few days of this month were filled with packing, spending time with Anna, and getting ready to go back to California. Anna and I flew back on the 7th, and I spent a few days in Healdsburg with my parents. The beauty of my parents’ house and garden amazed me. Many times each day I walked through the house and all around the yard marveling at what they have created in the 10 years they’ve owned the property. It is truly a magnificent place to live.

I stayed at my aunt’s house in Oakland the night before my UC Berkeley orientation on the 10th. I spent days planning how I would get to her house, before I finally realized that I know how to drive and could do it alone. We went out to eat gluten-free pizza the night before orientation, walked the dog, and watched the season finale of Glee. I was so comfortable at her house and know that spending the summer there will be great.

Orientation was almost 12 hours long, and most of it was spent in an auditorium listening to presentations by students and campus staff. It got pretty boring, but I got to meet with my Social Welfare advisor, officially declare my major as Social Welfare, and register for my first 10 units. I lucked out and snatched suddenly open seats in two education classes and got first on the wait list for a Chicano Studies class. I had wanted to enroll in all three classes, but thought I didn’t have a chance because they were already full before orientation. While I was registering, I happened to look at them again and got into the education classes. I was really lucky, because when I checked again at the end of my registration period, there was already long wait lists for all the classes. In late July I get to register for the rest of my classes and finalize my schedule, but so far it’s looking really good!

No surprise, it was great to be back in California. Just like when I visited in February, I was struck by how suddenly comfortable and relaxed I am in my parents’ house. That house is definitely my true home. Jose was always on my mind, and I felt his absence every moment, which made being home a little bittersweet. The day he is in Healdsburg, in that house again, will be one of the best days of my life and the start of a really great time.

-Emma