Philly: Day 1

Our first day in Philadelphia is officially over. 

In the morning we all arrived to meet Don Gosney at El Cerrito High School at 4:30 AM to ensure our luggage was under 50 pounds, a weight limit enforced by Southwest Airlines. Don weighed my luggage and assured us that my luggage was four pounds under fifty. It turns out when it was weighed at Oakland Airport it was forty-nine pounds, but still under fifty. I was pleased to see that because I transferred a lot of items from my main luggage to my carry on luggage which really was a hassle, but ended up being worth it. 

On the plane ride over to Midway Airport in Chicago, I was glad to speak and sit next to Board President Madeline Kronenberg. Our conversations spanned from local to state to federal politics! From parcel taxes to President Barack Obama to Jerry Brown to Hillary Clinton to Sarah Palin to Meg Whitman to Alvin Greene and on and on and on! She taught me a few good lessons such as always attending meetings that pertain to you or your cause -- NO EXCEPTIONS! The risk of not attending the meetings is catastrophic. You will not be heard or fully understood and as a result, your ambitions to strive for greatness are diminished and nonexistent. 

Another thing that I learned from Ms. Kronenberg on the plane ride is that your political opponents can only force and help you to be a better person, candidate or elected official. They help you fix and realize aspects that you may need improvement in and they could very well increase your motivation and reinforce your determination to succeed. It was just so enjoyable talking to her about topics such as politics that greatly interest us both. On the next flight to Philadelphia I sat next to Connor and Marisol. It was great being able to sit with them because we sure know how to make each other laugh and have fun!

Once landing and exiting the airplane in Philadelphia; humidity is the first thing I noticed. Then I noticed the beautiful, historic architecture of Philadelphia and it's admiring cultural diversity. I was in awe to see the amount of brick buildings here in Philly. It's just so different from California (due to our earthquakes). 

I really enjoyed riding subway (first time) to the restaurant we ate at for dinner named, "Butcher & Singer." The restaurant was in downtown Philadelphia and had amazingly high ceilings and comfy chairs/couches to sit in. Way better than the seats on the plane! I ate the Delmonico steak and mashed potatoes. Both were extremely delicious. For dessert I had the unforgettable Baked Alaska. I had no clue what this was when I first saw it on the menu. All I knew was that Mr. Ramsey was pushing us to try the Baked Alaska and so I did. It was the most delicious dessert I've eaten in my life! It was ice cream within sponge cake and meringue on top. Just amazing.

After dinner we took a cab back to the Sheraton University Hotel in downtown Philadelphia. Connor (rommate) and I have an amazing view from the hotel room of downtown Philly. He posted a picture on his blog. I'm excited to tour UPenn and meet with our admissions officer tomorrow evening at dinner. It will be quite a night!