Not my intention....

So I totally didn't plan on starting to post anything till at least the night I'm leaving because obviously I'm writing this with the intention of keeping you updated on what I'm doing over there, not while I'm still a ride or jog away (the exception I guess is if you're reading this and have already left Cali, in which case, why waste your time reading this when you should be enjoying orientation?) But yeah, this just had to be said:
Oh holy crap, we really are leaving and going off to college, huh?

Obviously it's pretty darn slow to suddenly realize that I'm leaving, especially since I've had those plane tickets booked since the middle of forever. But I had a chance to visit Berkeley today, and, being that I had promised to visit the day before, stopped by the dorms of my favorite gals. And you know what?

They're all grown up! They can like, eat when they want, sleep when they want, invite over whomever they like, do their own laundry (so I've technically never actually done a load of laundry all by myself. Is that bad?), stay out as long as they please, and pretty much do whatever they want since they have their own little luxurious sanctuary, or half of one, away from those ruthless tyrants I refer to as Mom and Daddy-kins. However, instead of completely losing control and living in a neat little mess like I probably will, these girls were totally cool and responsible! They offered me water and food! Like I was over at their own place!

And technically, I was at their own place. And yeah, I knew they were moving and starting college, but I think I actually had to see them in that environment, beneath the stucco ceiling and florescent lighting, to finally realize that they really are grown-up college students. And it totally breaks my little heart (or what's left of it before I decided money was the coolest thing in the world =] ) that they are.

And it hits me. I've only got a little more than a week left here. Crap. Let's hope I make the best of it.