Day 356: I love the way you say good morning.

I was awoken after a wonderful night of slumber at 10:08 today by my LaurAlarm clock -- my Cornellian sister had much to share about her first day of college classes, and we gushed about all the usual things, including gap year interactions and Marina Keegan.

After a late breakfast, Nani helped me pack, once and for all, my first batch of Harvard apparel, a bag containing woolens galore.

As we set this suitcase aside, I spruced my room up a bit and started a set of applications for some Freshman Seminars that will be offered next year. I first finished my essay for Complexity in Works of Art: Ulysses and Hamlet and then worked on applications for Happiness in Philosophy and Psychoanalysis and Public Policy Approaches to Global Climate Change.

It is remarkable how much my travels during this year helped in writing these last two apps, as I could cite counseling at Sasha Bruce and meditation in Mumbai as two major "experiences" I've had with happiness, and could discuss my work with EPA and TNC in the essay about environmental policy. It's nice to be reminded once again how much I've learned this year.

Next, it was time to organize my shoes for Boston, eat some lunch, write a bit more, work out, meditate, and prepare for some very special dinner guests!

This evening, we had the great pleasure of welcoming Howard and Vanessa Chang to our home for Indian food and farewells. I had a great time hearing travel stories, getting college advice, and making fun of Nizar . . . even though he wasn't there.


Mr. Chang took his Flint Hill responsibilities far too seriously at the dinner table, interrogating Priya about the dress code decisions she plans to make in high school, clearly searching for ways to charge her with a preemptive detention before the school year has even started. The cooking and the company made for a lovely night for all.


I wrap up this reflection as the rest rest. Just two more days until blast-off! So much to do, so little time . . .

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