Leaving a place you call home is always an emotional experience, yet leaving a place you-have newly embraced as your home is different altogether. The week was filled with a mixture of sadness, joy, nostalgia and celebration, as myself and fellow UCSB graduates said goodbye to a place with shared history and custom. Isla Vista is significant to people for various reasons and holds memories that wont be forgotten. Luckily I was able to come to terms with my goodbyes before the final week, however it was still hard to say goodbye to so many new friends and a place that has provided adventure and amazing growth.
It was fitting to begin my last week at UCSB with my step-sister Cara and my SB family (Dennis, Lisa, Tommy and Thierry). It was a special moment for me to recognise that myself and my two step-sisters now share the bond of UC alumni and having been shaped by the Californian college experience. There is something magical about California which can't be described, yet it permeates the special times shared there.
After the dinner down at the Beach Cafe in Goleta, I headed back to campus to finish off my political science assignment and get some well-earned sleep. Monday morning was then spent sending off my assignment and cracking into a little study for my quiz on Tuesday morning. To mark the start of our last week together, the girls got together in the afternoon to share a picnic dinner on Jackie's verandah. This spot had seen many a Norwegian filled party, Cassie's surprise birthday and some wonderful wine nights. The picnic feast would not be complete without a Coop food spread and some dolphin sightings.
Tuesday morning was my final visit to campus for my SOC134G quiz. It was a great way to finish up my academic life at UCSB and I certainly felt a sense of accomplishment handing in my completed paper. My professor bid me a happy summer and I was naturally, overcome with mixed emotions and awkwardly and said "same to you" and exited the classroom. It is so hard to make the most of your time when you feel there is so much riding on the last few days.
After my exam I practically skipped back to IV where I would meet Manny and Chris to create a celebratory brunch for the end of exams. Brunch at 6753 Sabado was not complete without enough food to feed an army and mimosas to sink a ship. David and Wyatt joined us and it was wonderful to just sit back and relax on the june gloom morning, swapping stories about childhood and family christmas'.
Tuesday and Wednesday night were spent celebrating in true style IV, with the Loop and OTT. The Loop is a well known tradition of the Isla Vista student and involves drinking a beer at each of the bars on the Embarcadero stretch. Due to lack of sleep we did not plan to complete the full loop, yet we gave it a good shot and ended at Felipe's farewell party in Dublins. Following up with OTT was quite the final hurray and went off with a bang. We went in ridiculously early and still stood in line for ages waiting for the day drinking crowd to stumble along. Ed was already in fine form upon arrival, however we made the most of the final karaoke experience and still got home in time for Freebirds.
Thursday morning was spent in recovery mode after a big night. Around lunch time, myself, Viv and Lisa went down to Camino Real to see A Fault in Our Stars. It was great although super emotional, maybe more so because it was our last week together and that we had hardly slept. The unfortunate thing about our last week together is the stress of packing, saying goodbye and exams culminated in a vibe very unlike the normal IV mode.
After a mad dash of packing, grocery shopping, cooking, preparing gifts and getting changed for the potluck in the evening, Manny, Wyatt, Chris and I had a brief photoshoot at IV beach. Manny and Wyatt were hell bent on getting some Harry Potter esque pictures in their gowns but we also snapped some cute pictures for momentos.
The potluck itself was a huge success and we all gained about 2kgs from the incredible array of food. Including everything from italian sandwiches, decadent vegan desserts and all kinds of salads.
The last 24 hours were a bit of a blur and between the stress of packing and cleaning I escaped to Manny's to hang out and listen to some music. I 'm definitely going to miss chilling in their living room and listening to our spotify playlists, swapping stories. The afternoon nearly got away from us as Manny, Wyatt and I wandered down DP and stopped to swing in the park, enjoying the afternoon sun. I had to quickly ride back and get changed before dinner and stop to say goodbye to Thomas.
Our last night together as a group was spent in fine form. We started with a beautiful middle-eastern dinner for Jackie's birthday and Cassie's graduation in downtown SB. It was also a chance have our last group cruise in Nigel, Lisa's Mini Cooper and our last time in downtown SB. After dinner we trooped back to Jackie's to finish the night in true style IV playing 7/11/doubles and partying up a storm.
By the time I made it back to Jackie's people were getting messy and I shared some farewell hugs before McConnell's icecream trip to IV deli and a final wander through IV at night. There are so many unique things about IV that I will miss and am glad to-have-been apart of.
My final day in IV was beautiful. It started out with my move out from Manzanita and saying goodbye to Kaitlyn and the dorm. I was surprisingly emotional about leaving Cienega and wishing my best to Kaitlyn who was heading off to graduate. I was also really fortunate to catch Manny and Wyatt's graduation ceremony in front of the lagoon before I had to go. The ceremony was so special, as families came together to share the joy with their son's and daughters. I am so proud of my friends for all of their achievements and it had truly been a privilege to get to know them and have them welcome me into their lives.
A small picnic in the park was a perfect opportunity to quietly farewell the rest of the motley crew as I started my journey to Sweden. I was so lovely to share a sunny picnic and some relaxing time, just sitting around and sharing stories. I can not wait to make more memories together soon!
Nina
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