Big Changes!

I didn't want to say anything before, because I doubted it would happen, but it has - I got into UC Berkeley (my dream school) for Fall 2010!

I'm going to major in Social Welfare and focus on immigration, education, and Latinos.  I hope to someday work for providing better educational opportunities for immigrations.  The education I will get from Berkeley will prepare me extremely well for what I want to do.

Its really exciting, but of course Jose can't come back with me.  Its going to be hard for both of us, and I'll really miss Mexico City, but I am going to go back and he is going to stay here.  Luckily we have Skype so we'll be able to talk and see each other.  I'll come back for all vacation breaks and some long weekends when breaks are far apart. 

I got a whole bunch of financial aid so it will cost very little.  Luckily, I have amazingly supportive parents who are going to take care of whatever isn't covered so I can just focus on school and graduate as soon as possible to get back to Jose.

I had been going crazy for months because I thought I had nothing to do.  The options in Mexico were lousy, so I was considering going back to the U.S. for 6 months to work and save up some money for Jose and I.  But of course, leaving him just to work a low paying job wasn't exciting.  I applied to UC Berkeley in October, but never thought I had any chance of getting in so I didn't even really consider going to school an option. 

I am so happy now.  I'm excited about going to such a great school to learn about something I am really passionate about.  I will have my degree before Jose can even start the immigration process again, so by the time he returns to the U.S. I will be able to work and support us comfortably while he finishes school.  This is good for me now, because I really need to do something to make me feel more worthy and fulfilled, and it will be good for our future.  One of us having a degree will make things so much easier.

I am going to start during the summer semester.  I'm flying back to California at the end of June for orientation and then classes start on July 6th. When classes are over on August 13th, I'm going to fly back to Mexico City for 10 days before the Fall Semester starts.

Life is good!  Hard, but good.
-Emma