Ever since I was a kid, my family would take annual vacations to only Los Angeles, Santa Cruz and San Francisco. In LA, we would visit the fun amusement parks and take up to a week off of school. In Santa Cruz, we would always stay at the same hotel for the weekend and walk down to the boardwalk. When we were feeling ambitious, we would take day trips to San Francisco’s Pier 39 all the way up from Modesto. These are the only three places that me and my family have traveled to together, and although we hope to travel more of the world, I love our traditions. I’ve grown to have a special attachment and connection to these locations because of the many memories that I’ve made. It’s crazy to think that I grew up going to San Francisco not knowing that one day, future me would be attending UC Berkeley, just thirty minutes away. For the longest time, I didn’t even know UC Berkeley existed, but I was so close to it so many times. It works out great because now my family and I have even more of an excuse to keep going to San Francisco.
Recently, my dad was on vacation for work, so we took a day trip to SF. Our time began by driving across the Golden Gate Bridge to get to Baker Beach. When we arrived, we could not see the Golden Gate Bridge because of the mist and fog. My mom and I shared a moment together as we stood on the shore looking out to the ocean. We talked about the things in our hearts and about not letting anything rob us of moments like these. I wrapped my arms around my mom, drawing near to her and savoring being in her presence. Being apart from my mom has really taught me to appreciate the comfort of her hugs more.
After Baker Beach, we made our way to Pier 39. Our first order of business is always dessert. While my dad and I are usually the ones to get ice cream from Lappert’s Ice Cream, my brothers and mom adore the Nutella crepes. We sat at a table outside Crepe Cafe, enjoying our delicious desserts. While we shared this meal together, my mom said, “I hope this was a fun outing for you guys.” Growing up, my mom was always the one planning our family vacations. The most important thing for her was to see me and my brothers happy and to give us the best childhood possible. That has always been both of my parent’s goals. I looked at my mom and dad with fond eyes and said, “it has been.” After we finished eating, we looked around the different shops including The Shell Cellar and Magic Arts. Our last stop was, of course, to see the sea lions. We were fortunate enough to see two sea lions playfully wrestling, which made for an entertaining show. I shared laughs with my brothers as we watched the wrestling match. My brothers always manage to bring out the free spirited inner child within me that reminds me not to take life too seriously.
On our way back to Berkeley as we were entering the freeway, I caught a glimpse of the city buildings up close. I rolled down my window and admired the city until I couldn’t see it anymore. Even from far away, I could see the Bay Bridge in the distance. We arrived at my dorm quicker than I expected and I was sad to not be going home with my family.
A lot has changed since I have come to college. Fortunately, I am able to come home often and I haven’t grown distant from my family. However, not being home all of the time has been a major adjustment for me and my loved ones, given that we have always been super close. Even though I have grown more adjusted to my life in Berkeley, I know deep down in my heart that my home is back in Modesto where my family is. Although my younger brothers don’t mention it much or simply try to play it cool, it’s been a challenge for them to not have their older sister around. This is why getaway trips such as these are essential for all of us to be together.
Life is different now but my family is my family. Despite the changes we have had to navigate, our bond remains the same or is even stronger. I appreciate my parents for making time with family a priority because at the end of the day, our loved ones are truly the ones that understand us best.
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