The Finale

This past weekend was an excruciating one, and one of the most memorable I'll have for a while. My parents and I drove down from the Bay Area to Irvine to officially move out of my apartment of 3 years. That place was my second home, filled with a ton of experiences, laughter, and lessons. I was able to hang out with two of my roommates and spent half of the day walking through the UC Irvine campus together, reminiscing and taking photos. It was a conflicting experience to walk on that campus for possibly the last time in years. On one hand, I was having so much fun being around my roommates again, sharing stories and seeing things we've never noticed before. Yet, on the other hand, I was trying to take all of my surroundings in. The walks/jogs from lecture to lecture, the journey to meetings, the late nights exploring new parts of the campus and its town center (UTC). I remembered all these memories I had experienced numerous times a week and the tedious look on my face as I took each step. Now, I won't ever get to do it again, not in the same way at least. Overall, the walk my roommates and I took was a more fulfilling end to our journey as roommates and UCI students. From our first year dorm Balin to the Student Center to the Infinity Fountain to Aldrich Park to the infamous Flagpoles, we got to properly remember how far we have come as people and undergrads. Although you may think the reminiscence was the gloomiest part to the weekend, moving out of our apartment was at the top of that list.

1642 Stanford, Irvine, CA.

My, oh my. What a beautiful 3 years it was with such a perfectly placed apartment. It was right across the street from campus AND our town center, with a 10 minute walk to the Anteater Recreation Center. My home was filled with some of my closest friends. I was able to learn how to live independently while being in such close quarters with a group of people that weren't my parents. As an apartment, we experienced a lot of happiness, sadness, and anger. As there were many ups and downs, what mattered was our ability to remain together and figure it out, like a family. Considering my roommates pretty much brothers, having to moving out sucks. The person I lived in the same room with for those 3 years, Amitesh, taught and showed me a lot about differing lifestyles and how to interact with each other on various things. Having to share the room with someone was excitingly new for me, being an only child. I was happy to have been roommates with an understanding and flexible guy who shared many interests. I'm somewhat rambling right now, and I could go into detail on each roommate and how awesome and influential they've been on my life, but maybe I'll save it for later. The key point I'm trying to address is the moving out. Many things were accumulated in that apartment for years, from clothes to electronics to food. Shifting through the stories of each item on my desk and in my room was a tad overwhelming. I was able to remember when I got certain clothes, where I found them, the instances surrounding those moments, and all that. Throwing out the unnecessary things was also difficult, one of those items being my desk. For me, it was not just the item itself but the memories I had with it. Letting go has always been problematic for me, and leaving that apartment was a test to how much I've grown. It was rough, yes, but I'm sure it was not just me feeling that our time was cut off too short. I've been thinking on the positive side recently, since dwelling on the negative never ends well. I hope to become more motivated to work hard and pursue my higher education and career with diligence and persistence, so one day when us roommates of 1642 Stanford decide to take a trip together or meet up anywhere, I'll be ready both financially and mentally. I know it is the end to our days together as roommates and classmates, but it's just the beginning for our journey as friends. Looking back at it with a fresh mindset, the sadness I felt from officially moving out and leaving my roommates was a testament to our memories together and the fondness we hold towards one another. I hope we continue to grow in our own ways and create opportunities to make even more memories.