Triumph and Realization

I'm not sure if it was just the fact that the sun decided to shine all day today, but somehow, even though I accidently slept through my 8 AM Spanish class, today turned out to be a pretty wonderful day. I laughed a lot and therefore coughed a lot, but it was well worth it. 

Above all the happy moments today brought, I do believe the best was when the kid I've been tutoring for about a month now told me that he got a 98.9% on his math test yesterday!!! For four days a week for the last month, I've been working on basic concepts with this kid: teaching him how to isolate a variable and solve, how to change fractions to decimals to percents, and how to do long division. We worked through every homework problem he brought home at least three times a piece. I formulated new problems and we created notecards to help him remember basic concepts. Seeing him so happy that he has succeeded on his own and seeing his parents so proud of what he accomplished was perfect and made all the sketchy moments I've had going to and from their home seem bearable.

I spent a lot of time with my friends today and I think something about the atmosphere just made me realize how much I appreciate all of them. It's so hard to believe that at the beginning of this school year we were all strangers to one another. These people here are amazing and they are the reason my college experience thus far has been inexplicably amazing. They're sweet, hilarious, intelligent, thoughtful, fun, and just all around wonderful. Every person that I have taken the time to hang out with while here has taught me something different and those that I spend more time around have never failed in providing me with support or entertainment. I don't think I've met a boring person here yet. I have met a few irritating and annoying ones, but even they happened to be more interesting than a lot of people I know.

I know there may be some doubts in my mind now about Berkeley, but I will never doubt the people here. They are the reason I am still hanging on and putting up with the street preachers and the criminal threats, the dirty streets and the night time creeps. 

I'll leave with this. 

Simple string and playful beads delicately entwined into a strand of love made to wrap perfectly around my wrist and remind me in the saddest of moments that a silly redhead loves me dearly.

...and an afterthought.

Today is proof that I have less and less of a reason to keep myself down in the dumps. There are too many people out there to interact with. Why get hung up on just one? I do miss him though, but some things are meant to wait.