And so it was, the end of an era. Though too short to call it so, it was packed with enough substance to qualify as one. The thrill of the ending of examinations transforming into a deep sinking sickness over a period of few days had a tumultuous ride. The weekend after was quite relaxing although my mind was occupied with devising the exit plan, exit from Ithaca. But before I did that, the next few days were going to be really amazing, sort of a flash back of the last 9 months coz my family was going to pay me a visit.
I picked them up from Buffalo and before our departure we made an impromptu visit to the Niagra Falls. I had been to the falls last during my internship in Toronto and so it was from the Canadian side and it was with those memories that I was looking forward to the visit. I remember the liveliness that engulfed the region defined by curb-side restaurants, kids' attractions, junk and souvenir shops, ice creams, sweet balls, hot dogs and children running in the huge gardens amidst families picnicking and people walking their pets. All this was nowhere to be seen on the US side that consisted of just a small mall that showcased a disappointing collection of cuisines and a sort of dull garden. Nevertheless as the area opened into the falls the whole mood switched.
I had rode on the Maid of the Mist last when I was 12 and though I couldn't conjure it as something exciting it indeed was a pleasant experience to go right till the foot of the falls and witness the enormous rage.
We had got a bit late on our way back and I must say that driving in the countryside at night had its own share of fun and fear. Notable was the moment when I turned off ALL the lights in and out of the car that felt as if we were tearing through darkness in the middle of nowhere!
When back to Ithaca I gave a "crash course" to my family in 3 days of what I knew about the town in 9 months. We first went to Cayuga lake and although I had thought of buying food there it struck me to pick up something from the Hot Truck that we passed while taking a tour of the North Campus. It skipped my mind that Cornell ran Ithaca and with the end of the semester it wasn't just Cornell that took a break but many businesses cut down their hours, including the places by the lake. Thankfully we had food and we got a nice place and I cannot describe the eternal peace of mind I felt while eating besides the placid lake and nice bollywood tracks playing from the phone. We then went for a walk at the Taughannock falls and then on the way back stopped at a vineyard a number of which span the surroundings of Ithaca.
The next day was fixed for a tour of the University, by foot! I had given a glimpse of what the daily walk towards the campus looked like and it was time to experience it first hand. A lunch buffet at Mehak was hence tactically planned right after the first leg of slope. I should take a brief moment to point the transition lately from Sangam to Mehak as we rediscovered the delicacies it offered at the same price. Maybe we appreciated the change or maybe Mehak did bring about an improved change in its cuisine but we had been frequenting Mehak about weekly during the last month and never got tired of any monotonicity. After relishing the sumptuous meal we scurried off to make it through the time window for which the clock tower is open, to get a splendid view of the entire town. Then we went in a few buildings where my parents appreciated the disparity between the modern facilities that a top Indian university provides and here. The concept of "break out" rooms for student groups to study took them by surprise as even I remember that IIT didn't come equipped with any such provisions. After enacting a few lectures and trapping those moments on film we went back home to dress up for a dinner at one of those curb-seating restaurants in downtown. Honestly it was the second time I went for fine dining at a curbside place in Ithaca and it was really refreshing. After fully loading ourselves we strolled around the Commons and then went back home.
The next day was relaxing and consisted of packing all the stuff and I must say that it was really hard to assimilate all the items that I had piled over the course of two semesters and organize them to be able to discard most of it. More than the physical effort, each item brought with it a different memory and it was tough to throw it away and erase its existence. It felt like the whole life that I had built throughout this time was falling apart and it was unsettling to think of all that I wanted to but couldn't accomplish in this "golden period". I had met some amazing people during this time and although we would stay in touch there was an uneasy feeling of the connections breaking away and our lives transforming to the next phase. I still had one more semester to go but as I imagined and realized it would be a whole new story and no where the same. Nevertheless what had to be done had to be and I am glad I had my family to sail with during this time. As I packed all the belongings and stripped my room to its original state my first week here flashed before me and all the fun/hard/pleasant/anxious/excited/drunk/hot/cold/loud/crowded and amazing times crossed my mind. All good things do come to an end! Next stop - NYC.
I had rode on the Maid of the Mist last when I was 12 and though I couldn't conjure it as something exciting it indeed was a pleasant experience to go right till the foot of the falls and witness the enormous rage.
We had got a bit late on our way back and I must say that driving in the countryside at night had its own share of fun and fear. Notable was the moment when I turned off ALL the lights in and out of the car that felt as if we were tearing through darkness in the middle of nowhere!
When back to Ithaca I gave a "crash course" to my family in 3 days of what I knew about the town in 9 months. We first went to Cayuga lake and although I had thought of buying food there it struck me to pick up something from the Hot Truck that we passed while taking a tour of the North Campus. It skipped my mind that Cornell ran Ithaca and with the end of the semester it wasn't just Cornell that took a break but many businesses cut down their hours, including the places by the lake. Thankfully we had food and we got a nice place and I cannot describe the eternal peace of mind I felt while eating besides the placid lake and nice bollywood tracks playing from the phone. We then went for a walk at the Taughannock falls and then on the way back stopped at a vineyard a number of which span the surroundings of Ithaca.
The next day was fixed for a tour of the University, by foot! I had given a glimpse of what the daily walk towards the campus looked like and it was time to experience it first hand. A lunch buffet at Mehak was hence tactically planned right after the first leg of slope. I should take a brief moment to point the transition lately from Sangam to Mehak as we rediscovered the delicacies it offered at the same price. Maybe we appreciated the change or maybe Mehak did bring about an improved change in its cuisine but we had been frequenting Mehak about weekly during the last month and never got tired of any monotonicity. After relishing the sumptuous meal we scurried off to make it through the time window for which the clock tower is open, to get a splendid view of the entire town. Then we went in a few buildings where my parents appreciated the disparity between the modern facilities that a top Indian university provides and here. The concept of "break out" rooms for student groups to study took them by surprise as even I remember that IIT didn't come equipped with any such provisions. After enacting a few lectures and trapping those moments on film we went back home to dress up for a dinner at one of those curb-seating restaurants in downtown. Honestly it was the second time I went for fine dining at a curbside place in Ithaca and it was really refreshing. After fully loading ourselves we strolled around the Commons and then went back home.
The next day was relaxing and consisted of packing all the stuff and I must say that it was really hard to assimilate all the items that I had piled over the course of two semesters and organize them to be able to discard most of it. More than the physical effort, each item brought with it a different memory and it was tough to throw it away and erase its existence. It felt like the whole life that I had built throughout this time was falling apart and it was unsettling to think of all that I wanted to but couldn't accomplish in this "golden period". I had met some amazing people during this time and although we would stay in touch there was an uneasy feeling of the connections breaking away and our lives transforming to the next phase. I still had one more semester to go but as I imagined and realized it would be a whole new story and no where the same. Nevertheless what had to be done had to be and I am glad I had my family to sail with during this time. As I packed all the belongings and stripped my room to its original state my first week here flashed before me and all the fun/hard/pleasant/anxious/excited/drunk/hot/cold/loud/crowded and amazing times crossed my mind. All good things do come to an end! Next stop - NYC.
reads so well :) reminded me of last year, packing and vacating H5!
ReplyDelete