Occidental College
Campus Conversations
Transitions, Turkeyless Turkey Day, and Glimpses Ahead
When I moved in in the beginning of this semester I wasn't really thinking of it as anything other than something I had to get through on the way to Japan. I was rooming with two girls I didn't know, I was taking classes I wasn't horribly interested in (I missed both room draw and class registration) and I just wanted to get to Japan.
By the time I got over my reluctance to be here, classes were in full swing and I was back in the groove. In fact, I only recently had time to sit back, take a deep breath, and look around. It was then that I noticed, I had a really good semester. I love love love my new roommates, and a part of me is very sad I won't be living with them again next semester. My classes also turned out to be very enjoyable, (though I'm just as glad they're almost over!), so all in all, I'd say this was a good semester. I'll be sad to leave Oxy, but, Japan awaits!
So, for Thanksgiving break, as is my tradition, I remained at Oxy. As per usual, the campus began emptying the Friday before, and by Wednesday (the first official day of break) I was practically alone. A friend of mine spending her first Thanksgiving away from home came to visit me, and we went out with my local grandpa (he lives in Pasadena) to Cafe Bizou, our regular spot for Thanksgiving dinner. I'm not a big turkey fan, and my friend is mostly-vegetarian, so she ordered shrimp pasta (with purple noodles!) and I treated myself to some surf and turf for Thanksgiving dinner.
The next day my friend and I set out with two more of the Oxy gang, (by the way, my core group of friends is all from my freshman dorm, just to point out how important that community is, and how it may remain so throughout your college career), to Calico Ghost town and car camping!
One of my Oxy buds and I had made the trip last year, and once again, Calico didn't disappoint. The ghost town itself is a little silly, but fun nonetheless. However, the real fun begins once you enter the canyon. We spent our second day scrambling up and down the mountains behind the town, stumbling onto a few mines, and generally having a good time.
All in all, it was a good break. This week it's back to the grindstone, with two final papers, a Japanese paper/project, a few last tests, and some finals prep over the next week or so. Then it's on to reading days, and finally, finals!
