I'm back where I started, but nowhere near where I used to be.
The forecast shows rain for my last ten days before the trip. I can hear it outside. It's the closest we've come to winter, so it's welcome because we need it. So long as the weather doesn't get too wild and crazy during the morning of my flight, I'm cool with a little rain storm.
According to
Left to Fry, today is exactly one year before the day I met Jenny.
The last thing on my agenda is Passport Photos. I think I need four more little mugshots. I also need to find out what train station gets me closest to my Dad's house because I want to go visit him on Monday or Tuesday. I'd like to see him and as many other Fryers as I can before I leave.
I'd been hoping for a longer stretch of time to really relax before the trip, but it wasn't until yesterday that I got my official go-ahead stamp. I woke early and grabbed a coffee from Old Soul and it was probably because of the coffee that I missed the first bus, but I needed the change anyway because last semester's bus pass expired. Another bus comes eventually and I take the familiar J-Street route out to East Sacramento, crossing my fingers and hoping that everything gets taken care of today and that I don't have to come back again.
The bus drops me off and I hurry toward Grad Studies Department, cutting across the lawn like a man on a mission. Up the stairs, down the hall, turn the corner, another corner, open the door. I try to explain what I'm here to get but the receptionist doesn't get it, so she gives me a cookie-cutter answer and sends me on my way. Open the door, turn the corner, another corner, down the hall, down the stairs, outside, across the lawn, into Lassen Hall through the sliding doors, up the stairs, down the hall, turn the corner, down the hall and into the Office of Global Education. Here I hand over my flight itinerary, my proof of insurance, and an emergency contact form. Everyone is happy for me and excited and this is encouraging. I'd been trying to get this specific document from Grad Studies for Janis but Janis still hasn't gotten it so I have to go back to Grad Studies because this is the last document I need before I get my stamp. After calling Grad Studies and being put on hold for ten minutes, I decide it's best to handle this in person. So it's down the hall, around the corner, down the stairs, out of Lassen Hall, across the lawn, up the stairs, down the hall, around the corner and back into the Grad Studies Department. I explain my situation a little more clearly and the receptionist gets in touch with Joanne and with her I'm able to kinda figure out what Janis wants and Joanne, with eye-rolling attitude, seems to know what I need and so she says she'll fax the information to Janis. I leave, go down the hall, down the stairs, across the lawn, into Lassen, up the stairs, down the hall, around the corner and return to Global Education. Just then, Janis gets a fax and together we look at what Joanne sent and, of course, it's not at all what Janis needed. What she needs is proof that I am no longer a "conditionally classified" grad student, perhaps in the form of a letter. Now I'm groaning, not only because this is ridiculous, but because Bryce has come up from Concord to visit and he's waiting for me in some quiet dormitory parking lot nearby. I go down the hall, down the stairs, through the sliding doors, across the lawn, up the stairs, down the hall and return to Grad Studies with waning enthusiasm. I get the receptionist to get Joanne and with Joanne we find out that my unofficial transcript shows the proof that Janis needs, so Joanne circles the appropriate evidence and sends me back to Global Education. Down the hall, down the stairs, across the lawn, up the stairs, down the hall, and here I give Janis the transcript and it's not exactly what she wanted, but she can't argue against the evidence and so she accepts it. Thank God, she accepts it. Then she hugs me and tells me to send pictures and I say goodbye and I leave.
Bryce picked me up. We drove back to my house and parked and walked to Paesanos for pizza, which was delicious. Afterward, we got drunk off wine while I taught Bryce how to play backgammon. He beat me twice. He taught me a pretty cool dice game. We watched Workaholics. He didn't get to stay long, but it was nice to see my old college roommate again. We're becoming adults so quickly.
Iven came by that night to celebrate Ricardo's new job by hotboxing my bedroom with us and Kevin and a blunt. For whatever reason, Iven and I decided to go to Press Club to see a band that turned out not to be there, so we found ourselves paying a three dollar cover for an empty bar and a DJ playing dubstep. We went back to my house after a drink and Iven went home.
On Wednesday I hosted an impromptu bonfire with Kelly, Andy, Iven, Tessa, Chris and Katie. Ricardo and Kevin made appearances. Strange to think that was probably the last bonfire I'd ever host here. Everything felt glossy that night after seeing that my financial aid came through, after finally reaching that moment where I knew everything was really going to work out. I paid off my credit card, bought all of my plane tickets, and purchased my health insurance. That was a great feeling. I might have some pretty horrendous flights ahead of me, but they were the cheapest and they'll still get me where I want to go.
All told, I'm gone from January 30 to August 19.
Now I can ride out these last ten days at whatever pace I feel like.
It's not much time and I don't know what to do with it, but tonight there's a Wes Anderson Costume Dance Party at the Townhouse, which should be fun. The playoffs are this weekend. I want to visit the Fryers early next week. Then it's my Mom's birthday next Saturday so I'll be up in Auburn for my Goodbye California weekend, and on Sunday there might be a trip planned to Hidden Falls. That would be a nice way to close out the month. Then Istanbul.
