Jojo the Explorer

The campus is paradise on Earth

I’d like to think that today was officially my first day at Cornell and yesterday was more of a preview. I’m glad that it was eventful, although I did lose track of where I was at least four times. Thank God for Google Maps and people nice enough to offer help. The campus is still huge and I’m still having a hard time remembering directions. 

Today was also Eid. My mom bombarded my phone with pictures of henna, bangles, clothes, and their time spent at the annual fair. That’s usually where I go with family friends on this particular day, so missing out was rough. Naturally, I felt homesick. It’s not like I celebrate many holidays, but this one in particular holds a special place in my heart and I hate to let it go.

Leading to Balch Courtyard

I had breakfast around 8:30 AM and sat next to Robson and my friend, Julia. Julia is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and she’s taking the veterinary medicine course here at Cornell. We had really hit it off the day before thanks to The Office and Harry Potter. Here’s to TV shows and literary references for starting friendships!

Breakfast was the perfect opportunity to get to know each other a little bit better. We talked about Cornell for the most part, our lives before, and what we have planned for the future. 

The RPCC was packed with options: pancakes, omelets, sausage, muffins, you name it. I grabbed a Danish, some pancakes, and fruit and ate away. Don’t get me wrong, the food tasted great but I did spot some mold on the pastry, which ruined my appetite.

We spent time exploring the campus after breakfast. I wanted to see the building in which my class was supposed to take place. It’s a 15-minute walk from South Balch, nothing I can’t handle. On the way there, we saw spotted Trip Hammer Falls. It’s beautiful, much like the rest of Ithaca. An hour passed and we were still walking, but eventually, Julia, Robson, and I found our way back to RPCC for lunch.

A scavenger hunt took place around 2:20 PM. Our RCA and that of another hall toured a huge group of us girls around campus. It was nothing like a hunt, more like a tour, but it gave me the opportunity to meet new people. I met Chloe who’s from Danville, which is a 30-minute drive from El Cerrito. We laughed, exchanged numbers, shared our favorite stories having to do with the Bay Area, and talked about going on a boba tea run sometime soon.  I look forward to anything that reminds me of home.

5:15 PM is when the activities fair in the Mary Donlon lounge began. I made my way there as soon as I possibly could and was more than enthusiastic about joining hiking and yoga, both of which I had read about in blogs from previous years. Unfortunately, they didn’t have either available, so I ended up putting my name down for Arts and Crafts, Yearbook, Tennis, and The Summer Times. 

At 9:30, Balch hall had it’s own mini scavenger hunt and I participated. The dorms are still mazes to me. They make no sense and I have yet to figure the pattern out, but I did learn where to empty out my trash and find the North Balch Hall so it wasn’t a complete waste of time. An hour and a half before check in, I came back to my dorm room and headed straight for the shower.

The rest of my time was spent writing room descriptions and taking down extra notes before class tomorrow.