goodbye uci

On the day before we left for Wisconsin, Drew and I walked around UCI and snapped some pictures. Our first stop was to the Anthill Pub for one last pint of beer. I must have been looking professorial because I think it was the first time that I didn't get carded. 

We walked through Aldrich Park, which is in the center of campus, on our way home. It is a really nice park, and back in the way when we had more time to linger over lunch, we would have picnics outside. 

Even though time became more scarce, I sometimes headed to the park to read or to have a quick walk.  

UCI's mascot is Peter the anteater, so Drew and I stopped by the bookstore to pick one up.

 We also stopped by Social Science Plaza for a quick picture by the fountain.

One of the first apartments I lived in was in Palo Verde, one of the housing communities for graduate students. Every day for nearly five years, I crossed this bridge to get to campus.  

On a clear day, you can see the mountains off in the distance from the bridge. 

When I first arrived at UCI, I thought the number of years that it would take to get a Ph.D. felt like an eternity. Older graduate students told me that the time would go fast, and at first, I didn't believe them. But, just like many other things, they were right. The time goes by so fast. One minute it feels like graduation is so, so far away and the next minute, you're packing up all your stuff and saying goodbye.