Saying Hello to Pennsylvania

I awoke this morning from the sleepover I had with Kiara and Juliana last night. It was more of me just knocking out as they continued to chat, though. After just sitting in bed for a few minutes, I got up to get ready for the final breakfast with VSA. It still didn't feel real. I couldn't believe I was leaving some of the best people I'd met.

Breakfast was significantly less crowded than it tended to be, mostly because of several students leaving for the airport very early in the morning. Just like on the first day, I had breakfast with my proctor group or who was still around from my proctor group that morning. I went around and had a couple more people sign my term book as I finished my final Vanderbilt Commons Oatmeal. Breakfast was cut short so that people could start checking out at 9, and we were given 5 minutes to say goodbyes before we all were restricted to our floors. 

I got very emotional when my classmate Darren said, "Every time you hear your teachers laugh just pretend it's Dawson laughing." That for some reason really got me, because Dawson (as most Math teachers are or should be) was very passionate about teaching young people about problem-solving and Math in general. It then hit me that I probably won't have a class with people as invested in the topic like this for a while. 

Had to take a photo with my roomie

After the final goodbyes, I went back up to my floor and basically just waited. As girls from my proctor group left one by one I hugged them with teary eyes. I genuinely believe my proctor group was full of brilliant and caring girls. Proctor Group Meetings were all very honest and thoughtful and I never felt judged by any of these girls, despite our different backgrounds. I think VSA does a very good job at picking its students and creating positive environments for us to be in.

Around 10 AM or so, Kiara and I both received text messages that we were heading out. Kiara started crying pretty hard, which in turn made me cry. Kiara is easily one of the sweetest people I've ever met and I'm going to miss her Minnesota accent so much. 

Before finally checking out, I stopped by Rosie's office to hug her good bye as well. She was incredibly supportive at the panel and throughout the program itself, from start to finish, so of course, I had to thank her for everything. I also ended up getting a mint-colored VSA Staff t-shirt. 

We then all got our stuff into the shuttle and headed for the airport. I was a bit anxious about the time because I thought the Nashville International Airport was far, but it was about a 12-minute drive. The whole airport process was pretty quick, even for Ms. Hansen who wasn't TSA Pre-Checked. 

Ran into Madeleine (left) and Shayna

At the airport, I actually ran into some friends so I got to say goodbye one final time to some people. Our gate was also really easy to find and we boarded almost right after arriving. The plane ride was about less than 2 hours, and flying Southwest, again, we got to pick our seats so I sat with Cammie and Evan. We talked a bit about how departure was for us and some other VSA topics. 

When we arrived at the Chicago Midway airport, we found out that our flight to Philadelphia was delayed. That turned a 1-hour layover into a little over 2-hour layover. We walked around the concourse for a bit, looking for something to eat. To my dismay, there were no Starbucks in sight, meaning no "You Were Here" collection bottle. 

We decided to get some burgers, mostly because we were craving french fries. Although, the burger place didn't even have french fries and we got them separately at a Greek food stand named Pegasus On The Fly. It was relatively good food but even after sitting in the food court for a while, we still had time to kill before it was boarding time. So, we were productive and charged our cell phones.

The flight to Philadelphia was also surprisingly short, and the plane itself wasn't full. I noticed several empty spots around, which was a first. There wasn't much talking, partially due to the fact that we were already missing the friends who had become family. Before we knew it, we had arrived at the Philadelphia Airport. 

A shuttle from AVIS came to pick us up then we got the rental car so we could be on our way to the hotel. The drive to the hotel, which is right by UPenn, already gave us a glimpse of how different Philadelphia is from Nashville. There are several more skyscrapers, but at the same time, the University City has a very old town vibe. 

The Sheraton hotel was also very different from the Hampton Inn just from the very entrance. Everything at the Sheraton seems a little more extravagant. The Hampton had a very friendly and hospitable atmosphere, but the Sheraton's lobby seems far more accessorized and modernly decorated. It also is connected to a restaurant & bar that has Dim Sum on the weekends and is a noodle house throughout the week and evenings. It also has several more floors.

I'm sure the college students love it here

Despite the general atmosphere difference, the rooms that we stayed in are essentially the same in size and content. The only different is that it doesn't have a fridge, a bit of a bummer, and the bathroom is a few square feet smaller. Also, rather than having a view with a lot of green, we get a lovely view of nearby tall buildings.

After dropping off our baggage, we headed over to Distrito for some dinner. I knew it was Mexican food but my expectations for the restaurant itself weren't high, which tends to work out for me. To my surprise, it was actually a very cute and lively establishment. It was full of colors and authentic Mexican decorations, like the rice paper cutouts and some wrestling masks. As for the food, I got a Huarache, which was like a flatbread. Usually, the Huaraches I eat at home are less like flatbreads and more like huge tacos, but it was still very delicious. Overall, I wasn't disappointed with dining at Distrito.

I'm definitely looking forward to exploring Philadelphia and getting a tour of UPenn, which really seems to just sell itself right off the bat.