The End To Our Adventure

Our last morning in Nashville went by as quickly as a heart. We started off the morning at the Pancake Pantry once again; this small pancake place never fails to satisfy. Afterwards, we strolled around downtown Nashville, which I have never seen before. Upon arrival, I could see a wave of people at all corners of the street. I have never seen Nashville so full! It was not only hard to keep track of each other but it was also hard to not stop and take a quick listen at all the bands and singers we saw every other building. Nashville truly is Music City; there is always a new singer or band trying to have their time in the limelight.

Man-powered vehicle!

Train tracks to no where

Walking around, we went to several souvenir shops for last minute shopping. Although we were only there for a little while, we were pretty exhausted from walking around in the heat. We’ve been in this humidity for nearly a month and we never got used to it.

After our last trip around Nashville, we all head to the airport for our long ride to Oakland where our parents would be picking us up. Although I am not fond of airplanes, I would have to say that this trip, although very long, was not as uncomfortable as the others had been. I was actually able to relax for the first 4 hours and have a peaceful plane ride. However, there was a minor mishap in the plane. Apparently, water bottles tend to spew water when you open them on a plane. It really was embarrassing; once I flipped the straw thing open to take a small sip, water just flew out everywhere. I kind of freaked out so I just froze in horror as the water drenched Narges, me, and a man sitting in front of us. I also wet Hannah a little, but that girl sleeps like a rock and didn’t even flinch. Besides this little accident, everything else went smoothly.

Once our plane arrived, I felt a huge explosion of joy within me. I was finally home! I couldn’t believe it, I have been gone for so long and being so close just made me even more excited. Besides waiting for my luggage, I was also looking for my mother who would be picking me up. As I saw her in the crowd with one of my sisters, I came over and gave her a huge hug, the first one in nearly a month. My wheel-chair-bound grandmother and my littlest sister also came to see me. I really feel loved since my grandmother came all this way, especially at nighttime just to see me. I have missed my family so much and I am so glad to be seeing them again. Once it was time to go, I gave my cohort one last hug and said our goodbyes. This really isn’t goodbye though, since we will be seeing a lot of each other at school. I have had such a glorious time with these people and I really could not have asked for a better cohort.

All I can do now is thank the Ivy League Connection for this incredible journey. Thank you Mr. Ramsey, Don, and Ms. Kronenberg for letting me spread my wings and fly in the wind. This was a trip like no other. I also want to thank Mr. Mannix for being the best chaperone possible and for putting up with many things like our slow-paced walking. Although I am sad that this trip is finally over, I am glad to have learned so much about college life and my role in it. Now, it’s just really good to be home.