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Final Week Pt.1. On the Edge.
Final Week Pt.2. Give Me A Moment.
Main Plots Starts Here:
12:53 AM, and I couldn’t sleep.
It was too quiet without hearing Becca and Mandy laughing in the aisle, Isabelle randomly ranting in Chinese, Johnny locking his door, and the drunk kids coming back from the frat.
Packing ver.1: List 'em
When I realized that I would have to step over something to reach my bed, I immediately knew that something was inherently wrong.
It was after giving some old jewelry to Kelsey — I dumped all my sh*ts on the floor, and suddenly, there was no floor.
Floor??
Time to say farewell to the stuff that I:
- Like but have never used
- Never used
- Used but occupies space
- Used but looks ugly
- Prolly worth a few bucks on Depop
- ……
- %^&/&^&* Just everything (no!).
The next thing I knew, I was sitting on piles of trash, underwear, slutty dresses, makeup, DJ deck, food debris, and paper boxes. Never have I ever felt so helpless with packing.
But I started packing anyway, because Chinese women never give up.
一生不服输的中国女人。
Can you find my dinosaur?
Packing ver.2: Blood in Gosman
I went to Gosman to grab my sh*ts, only to see some slimy red liquid on the top of my locker. Apparently one of my shampoo bottles spilled out of nowhere.
Looks like jam!
I couldn’t do anything other than wash the sticky bottles and clog 2 Gosman sinks. Got tired of saying sorry, so I dipped right away.
First sink, clogged
Second sink, clogged
I don’t wanna spend one more second here.
Felt like Lady Macbeth for a second.
(Fun fact: the BRANDEIS POLICE called me because I left my wallet in the parking lot in front of the health center after donating some medical stuff there. I guess karma was on my side?)
Packing ver.3: Trip with Phoebe
After a few days of packing and staring at my tributes from year 3, I shamelessly asked if Phoebe could help drive me to Buffalo Exchange in Somerville. Bunny agreed without even blinking.
Who doesn't love a bunny?
It was pouring as if God was unleashing some wrath — not at me please. I am just a girl. After some traffic and some parking adventures, we entered the store. When going through my stuff, I couldn’t tell if the cashier was judging my collection or my personality.
A whole suitcase of clothes and jewelry. Sold in 20 bucks. Didn't know if I should laugh or cry.
I bought a T-shirt that says “show me some trash”, with a raccoon (sorry Anastasia) sitting on Aladdin’s carpet. That was my silent protest to this thrift store. I dumped the unsold stuff in Goodwill next door. That was my karma of the day.
I have to show you some trash!
…
Rushing in Goodwill. Call me a sister!
The commuter rail was leaving in 5 minutes! Phoebe and I were rushing in the rain. Phoebe was cooking fast-and-furious, and I was playing a crappy cheerleader. Arriving at Porter Station, I sprinted in the rain with my Lulu shoulder bag running off my left shoulder and the empty suitcase carried weirdly with my right elbow. I stepped onto the escalator when the train was choo-chooing, and secured a seat by the window 20 seconds later.
Raindrops were sliding down my bangs. My Cigarette-After-Sex hoodie was all wet too. It was ironic that I neither had a cigarette nor sex (in a while). I breathed heavily, leaving a small mist on the window.
Thanks Phoebe bunny bean.
Packing ver.4: Nathan Rd, and Back at It
I used every ounce of Physics knowledge and willpower to cram my entire year into 6 fragile Storage Squad boxes. How can SS call these “Mega Boxes”?? The only thing “Mega” is their imagination, and my desperation. Every time I sit on (ride) a box and tape it, the tape makes a scratching noise. I think it was its way of complaining about my violent manners.
Yes, I ride that thing like a wild bi*ch (bye).
But done. My 3rd year, boxed.
Are they MEGA?
Shifting gears to Nathan Road (Qiyuan's house & Xinpeng's old house). After almost barging into the Baseball bro’s room because I thought it was the basement, I managed to line up some of my summer necessities in Qiyuan’s garage with a little help from the Uber driver. Of course, I generously offered a one-dollar tip.
Idk which door leads to the garage. I got lucky.
Back at it. Other than 6 MEGA-but-not-so-mega boxes stacking in my room and a sheet-less bed with a pillow and blankets, stolen from the living room, which god knows how many people have used, everything else was gone — my Chinese flag was gone; Alo jacket was gone; mic was gone; sound card was gone; cables were gone; Kate Spade was gone; Channel was gone; Nike was gone; Timb boots were gone; empty alc bottles were gone; notebooks were gone; beddings were gone…
My junior year was gone.
It was 1:40 am, 5/14. The last day of finals, and 4 hours before I depart.
Snapshot of earlier evening. No tears.
Packing ver.4: A Ziv 128 Production
My junior year…
The film camera started clicking and rolling. I suddenly started having flashbacks of everything that had happened in Ziv 128, room 504A. The crappy songs I made and rapped over, the DJ sets I weaved, the videos that I edited, the Programming Assignments I did, all the BS I scribbled with AI…
The late-night conversations with Jiayi & ChatGPT, the hallucinations right before I fall asleep, the random wake-up at 6 am, thirst in the morning — my throat feels like sandpaper, the hollow evenings when I woke up from a 2-hour nap…
The tears I shed, curse words I misused, illegal jokes I spitted…
So many nights, coming back drunk from the frat or the city, or exhausted after a Monday TAMID meeting at 10pm; early mornings, getting ready for the lift, or my 8 am Software Engineering class, tucking up my stuffed dinosaur (Rolex) before leaving my room.
It was a sleepless night again, but I genuinely don’t know why I couldn’t start dreaming.
I guess I know. I told everybody that I have stopped missing Brandeis during holidays and breaks because most of my dear ones have either transferred, graduated, or simply left campus. But who am I fooling? I will forever miss this slum. I (think) I grew a lot ever since 08/25/2022, and regardless of where I live or how I lived, Deis was always here, looking poor or holding back on US News ranking, but staying with me in every second.
I still have a year, but I can already feel it slipping through my fingertips.
Packing ver.5: See You Next Fall
…Did I even sleep.
The sun rose. I looked through my window for one last time, seeing the cold wooden furniture in rooms of other buildings below my floor.
I insist that it is the best dorm view in the ziv quad.
Now my room is just full of cold wooden furniture too.
As if nobody was ever here.
December, 2024.
May, 2025.
Recap from Last Week -->
Final Week Pt.1. On the Edge.
Final Week Pt.2. Give Me A Moment.
🫡🫡🫡
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