The Roundup: California Dreaming
Happy Wednesday! I have spent 10 out of the past 36 hours in an airplane traveling from DC to LA - across the country for an interview, who knew it could be so fun? I know some people hate airports - the long lines, the crying kids, and the unceremonious pat-down from the TSA - but I have to say I find it really relaxing to just sit at the gate with a good book, headphones in, and people-watching!
I always forget how much I miss California until I go back and have to leave again. I had a really wonderful time interviewing in LA - the school's faculty and administration were so welcoming and made every interviewee feel right at home. One of my favorite parts about interviewing has got to be listening to my peers talk about some of the amazing work they've done (in and out of the classroom). I always love hearing about the incredible things that my peers have done. It makes me so proud and is very humbling to hear about the other activities and experiences that my fellow pre-meds have engaged in prior to applying. I called a cab the morning of my interview to take me from my hotel to the admissions building and was picked up by a friendly Armenian cabbie named Jerry. We had a good time chatting about LA, his wife, and his family back home. As I stepped out of the cab he said, "Your interview is done at 1? I will meet you right here and take you to the airport. You call me if the plan changes." Lo and below, as I'm stepping out of the admissions at 1:10, I see Jerry pull up with a big smile on his face. As I approach the cab he throws up his hands, smiles and says, "You did well at interview, yes?" I wanted to give him a big bear hug for (1) keeping his word and returning to take me to the airport and (2) remembering what we had chatted about during our brief 8 minute drive from my hotel to the school.
As we headed for the airport Jerry told me more about his youth in Armenia. He said he once played for the national volleyball team and that he now had a lot of tension and pain in his right shoulder because of playing competitively for so long. He told me how much he loved the life, culture, and food in LA . He said, "My friends are always saying 'Oh Jerry you should eat fruit and drink water,' but I just say 'Why eat fruit and drink water? So I can live 5 years longer like you? When I go, I'll go, and I'll be happy!'" He had a big grin on his face while he was telling me this.
I couldn't help but be enchanted by this man's generosity of spirit. He told me he tried to live every day like it was his last, mostly because he lost his daughter about 13 years ago when she was only 11 years old. He said, "But that's life - it is hard, and you find a way to move on." As I was climbing out of the cab at the airport, Jerry handed me his business card. "I drive taxi during day, but I am really in financial services. We have offices all over the world. Cathy, if you want to go into financial services, I can find you a great position in our DC office." I accepted his business card and, as I walked through the sliding doors at LAX, was so grateful for Jerry and people like him - who can find joy in moments of sadness, who can cherish in the everyday wonders of the world, and who was kind to a fault. I kept thinking that, if I was lucky as to ever find myself back in LA, that there's only one cabbie I would call.
