A Tiring but Fantastic First Day

I made it to Boston along with the rest of the Columbia cohort! I can't believe that just this morning I was standing in the cold outside of El Cerrito High School waiting to board the charter bus going to SFO with the Cornell cohort. I was surprised that I wasn't too emotional when saying goodbye to my parents because next thing I knew I was eating breakfast in the airport like it was a regular meal out with friends. It feels so long ago, maybe because the five and a half hour flight sapped what little energy I had before leaving, I just couldn't sleep at all before leaving!

My parents and I keeping warm before I left.

Airport essentials

Regardless, when I arrived in Boston I was immediately stunned by the architecture and overall scenery of Boston that I was completely ready to conquer the town. It was evident even from the airplane that Boston is historical, clean, and beautiful.  

The burst of energy was short-lived however because once we checked into the hotel there was a mix-up with our rooms. That meant waiting in those plush lobby chairs and next thing I knew, I was dozing off. Once the room mix-up was solved, we went out to a delicious Italian dinner around the block from the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. Afterward, we decided to walk off the dinner in the beautiful weather. We wandered away from the hotel and found ourselves in the Boston Commons Park. It was gorgeous. The grass was green, there were large, clean statues, plenty of flowers and trees, a lake, and so many friendly animals walking around. 

 

After making our way through the park, we ended up on a street lined with a lot of little shops, cafes, and beautiful city homes. The most interesting part about walking here was the positive vibe that everyone on the street had. It felt welcoming. I felt like I could go there anytime and the positive vibe would always be there as well as the endless amount of joggers there were. In addition to that the architecture was fantastic! It was the perfect mesh between historic buildings and modern shops.

A historic church in Boston.

Where modern meets antique.

Overall, my first day on the ILC trip was a lot of fun, even if tiring. I've seen so much in a matter of hours, I can only imagine what tomorrow has in store.