My family came up to visit me for Thanksgiving. The past few days that I’ve spent with them have been a blessing. When it comes down to it, I’m truly thankful for my family, and I oftentimes don’t realize how much I miss them when I’m at school.
My mom, dad, and Alan drove up on Monday. They stayed at a relative’s home in San Jose, and dropped by Berkeley on Tuesday. It was around lunchtime when they arrived, so I took them to my favorite food place in Berkeley – Cheeseboard.
They enjoyed the pizza, although it was a bit too salty for their tastes (olive topping that day). Still, the food was good, and we decided to drive over to the Berkeley Marina to take a post-lunch stroll.
When we reached the Marina, my parents surprised me by presenting me with a mini, foldable bike. Totally unexpected, and this thing is so cool! It’s kind of like a kick scooter with a seat and pedals, and it’s the weirdest bike I’ve ever seen. I’ll probably give it a ride around campus soon, so keep a look out for a potential spotting!
After the Marina, I gave my family a tour of the campus. Showed them Haas School of Business, of course, along with every other major lecture hall imaginable. They even got a chance to peer inside several lectures at some of the larger rooms.
The next day, I drove over to San Jose after class with my brother (who had stayed over at Berkeley for the night), and we met up with one of my mom’s cousins and his family to enjoy a delicious Chinese dinner. Stuffed myself silly and went to sleep feeling full.
Thanksgiving Day, I watched Puss in Boots with my second cousins. Funny, entertaining movie – definitely a step above the recent Shrek films. Dinner at another Chinese restaurant in Milpitas, stuffed myself silly once again.
Video games, random naps, surfing the Net, all in the comfort of home and family. What a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving.
Today, we stopped by Berkeley and ate lunch at Joshuya Sushi. Parents and relatives were definitely impressed, although a hobo tried to give one of my relatives a banana – she took it in stride.
San Francisco trip was next. We drove to the usual stops – Pier 39, Golden Gate Bridge, and even my workplace over the summer, OpenDNS. My highlight of the night was driving down Lombard Street, the famous zig-zaggy street. I’d never done it before, so it’s another check off my bucket list.
Dinner at Chinatown was mediocre, but we had the chance to walk along the streets and look at the little gifts and displays in front of the shops. We ended the night with a quick stopover on Treasure Island to enjoy the beautiful city lights – what a view! This place gave the perfect view of the entire skyline of SF.
After dropping me off at Berkeley, my family is once again off to San Jose, and heading back to LA tomorrow. Although this meet-up definitely felt too short, I was very thankful for the time I got to spend with them.
Family, stuffing myself with food, enjoying the sights and sounds of the Bay Area, and just plain chilling, I couldn’t have asked for more.
Looking forward to home for real in three weeks.
Giving thanks at randomtidbitsofthought.wordpress.com.
