GoodBye Friends

Some Class Mates (I'm terrible with names)

It was the day I said goodbye to Chicago and all the people there. I don't want to write too much on what I will miss about the trip and the experience as a whole. That is for another blog. This day went by so fast. In the moring there was class like normal, but it was very important still full of work. There was a final presentation that needed to be conducted and that seemed to have went smoothly. After there was a heartfelt goodbye session for all the students in the class. Everyone was taking pictures and giving their final goodbye hugs. It was especially sad to say goodbye to our instructors Marjorie and Kate who asked us to refer to them by their first name. They are genuine and have passion about their line of work, which is something I really respected. After the photo session, I went to dinner having planned going on a shopping trip with a dear freind which we named Jim. You may be thinking "named?" Yes, on the second day of this program he was having problems thinking of an english name and Jim seemed to fit him well. 

Lollapalooza Sign

Soon after the class ended, I recieved the notification from Jim he had invited Ernestina and a friend of Ernestina named Jessica. Jim seemed to been interested in this Jessica and the flirting was pretty obvious except to Jessica. Good Luck Jim. Well we set off to look for an Addidas store for Jim and on our way there we saw Lollapalooza. I wish i would have made it somehow. That would have just made the already great trip 10 times better. There are crowds of people flooding in making so much traffic. It literally seemed like an ocean of people. Should have taken a picture, shame... We treked on and along the way Jim bought some really expensive chocolate for his teachers back in China. I forgot to mention that this whole time it was pouring and we got absolutly soaked. Meanwhile, Ernestina was wearing flip flops; how did she survive.   

We stopped at a UnderArmor store to one, look at some shoes, and two try to dry off even if it was a little. Jim is really picky with his shoes and refused to try any offered there. He was an Addidas man and it was going to stay like that. So, that is where we headed. When at addidas it was a disaster. Jim was trying to pay for the items and he couldn't. They required him to enter a pin to use his credit card, but he doesn't remember ever making a pin. After half an hour, Ernestina and Jessica payed for the items and Jim would pay them back in cash when he got home. 

Me, Eddie, Kevin, Jim, Aaron

After eating Dinner in the diner, there was a kareoke party with Ice Cream. I spent most of that time saying goodbye to departing friends who I will miss. The first to leave us was Kevin and we took some pretty good group pictures. After the Ice Cream and singing there were a few more goodbyes and then ultimately came the goodbye to our cohort. There was a crowd in the lobby at 5 am watching our departure. It was kind of cool to see the that people will remember us when they go back home.

Picture while super tired

Picture of Shuttle Home

The plane trip was great I got sooooo much sleep and when we arrived in Oakland it really hit me that it was over. The weather was different; I couldn't stand the cold. I missed the hot Chicago weather and the brightness of it. California seemed kinda gloomy after that and still does. At our arrival at El Cerrito we said our final goodbyes to the best Cohort in the ILC and their parents. It was so strange seeing this place again. I don't think I missed California. I wanted to keep exploring Chicago.