I’m back!
After a rejuvenating 7 week break (consisting of lots of chess and Netflix), 2,000 miles of traveling, 4 hours of unpacking, and (trust me when I say) many negative COVID tests, I’m back at Wellesley!!
It feels so strange. The place is the same, but everything around me is different. It’s a nice change of pace after being home for almost a year, and I’m grateful to be back and soak it all in for the last time. All the snow has also been exciting for a Southern Californian like myself.
I wrapped up my CDC internship a few weeks ago, and now I’m focusing on enjoying my time at Wellesley (and writing my thesis too!). I’m in one class this term, a philosophy seminar focused solely on the meaning of life. After week 1, our class material and discussion both look to be extremely promising (and existential, of course). I can’t think of a better class for term 3 of my senior year. Less than half a year left to go.
In today’s post, I wanted to share a little about the process of traveling and moving back to campus. I traveled by plane from San Diego to Boston early February. In between, I had a layover in Atlanta. Overall, I saw lots of physical distancing and double masking at the airport (yay!). I kept myself entertained by reading Presence by Amy Cuddy (given to me by my amazing mentor) and listening to Arlo Parks’s debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams (I recommend checking out her song Black Dog – it’s incredible). While traveling, I also took over the Wellesley College instagram stories, which kept me busy!
Overseen in San Diego International Airport
As a thesis student, I had to quarantine in a hotel for four days and receive two negative COVID tests before I was able to come back to campus. The hotel experience was quite nice: Wellesley booked out the entire hotel (endearingly called Hotel Wellesley, so the only people staying there were Wellesley students in quarantine). It almost felt like a mini vacation and gave me an opportunity to rest and relax before the craziness of classes. I binged New Girl, video called my family and friends, and did yoga…before I knew it, it was time to get back to campus!
While quarantined in the hotels, I spotted an adorable note from a fellow Wellesley sib!
I’m living in Lake House this year. My room faces west, has a beautiful view, overlooking the boathouse and Lake Waban. It’s especially magical during golden hour. When I got back to campus, I felt like I was living in a Christmas card. There was fresh snow everywhere, and honestly, it was perfect.
Since thesis students arrived earlier than the rest of the seniors, we had a full week off before classes started. I seized the opportunity to frolic in the snow, “sled” down Sev green with Talia using the top of our plastic bins, take many afternoon winter walks, and of course, work on my thesis.
Unfortunately, our shenanigans were too much for the plastic top and one of them broke. 🙁
The best part of coming back to campus has easily been reuniting with friends. Of course, this isn’t what I had in mind for the ideal senior spring, but at this point, I’m glad it’s happening. I’m counting my blessings and feeling extremely lucky to be back.
Next week, I’ll be sharing more about what term 3 looks like for me. It’s the beginning of the end, which blows my mind. I’ll be posting Thursdays this term, so I’ll meet you back here next week.
Happy [almost] Friday,
Shreya
A particularly pleasant sky spotted from my room last week.