This is the last day of the trip. Before I went to sleep last night, the weather forecast predict that there will be thunderstorm today. But when I woke up early in the morning and be ready for breakfast, the sky was clear. After breakfast, I was thinking it might rain later so I didn’t follow the other group to leave hotel. I stayed in hotel and took a nap. I woke up later in the afternoon around 12:30pm because we need to check out our room and so I get my luggage and clean the room then we leave.

When we leave the hotel at 2 pm, the sky feeling sad for us leaving and it rained. But we got on the airplane safely and we had a layover in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While we sat there for our next flight, the clouds start to gather and sky turns dark and I said, “It is going to rain soon”. After I said for few minutes, the rains poured down from the sky and the lightning and thunder are so bright and loud that it makes us all assume that the flight will be delayed. However, that’s not true. The rain slows down when we start to board. After we board, I checked the weather, it showed that Washington D.C. and New York City were also having thunderstorms. I felt lucky for those days we were in those cities were actually the days they have better weather. I am also glad that the flight did not get delayed. After this trip, there will be a camping trip tomorrow. I don’t feel ready for it. I am just hella tired but I am feeling great and accomplished.
P.s. for myself: Congratulation, you did it Meifeng! You have not eat any fast
food during this trip, are you proud? Yes I am.

Thank you Southwest for giving me this opportunity explore and grow as I visited
those three cities. Before I can only hear from people and look up online for those places
but now I can tell my friends, I been to those places and it is a great lifetime experience.
This trip is has taught me so much and all I had experienced are fascinating. And I can’t
be more grateful and thankful for Southwest’s support, you have make a great journey for
my life.
​-Meifeng Deng

Today is the last day, before we say goodbye to Boston, some of us went out to the Quincy Market to just walk around, however, we somehow walk to the wrong direction, so we ended up visiting the Boston Harbor. Today was kind of gloomy day, so not a lot of people was out at the Quincy Market, and before we leave the market, we have to get ourselves lobster roll. After that we all head back to our hotel and finish up or packing and leave Boston. We took about two and half hour to Milwaukee. Before we get on the plane again, is started to rain super hard, lightning also happens, so I though we have to wait long before we can departure again, but lucky there rain suddenly stopped or got smaller, so we were about make go back to San Francisco on time and safely. Over all, I have gain a lot of experiences, learning a lot for different city, and at the same time I had a lot of fun.
-Elsa Iao

Our flight was not until 4:45pm so we had a couple more hours to explore Boston. We had planned to go to the Public Garden, but we left the hotel late and ended up only going to the Quincy Market. On our way there, we got a little lost and ended up at the Boston Harbor and Wharf area. At the Quincy Market, we stumbled upon a comic book shop and spent a good amount of time there before getting lunch inside the market building. This time, I tried the lobster macaroni and cheese at the Boston Chowda Company. I always wanted to try it, but this one was just okay. It wasn’t too flavorful. By the time we finished eating, we had to head back to the hotel and check out. We took the Embassy Suites shuttle to the airport. The driver was very nice and helped us move our luggage onto the shuttle. By the time we went through TSA and arrived at our gate, we only had about 30 minutes left before boarding. We had a layover in Milwaukee. We had just enough time to grab dinner before our flight. When we sat down after getting our food, it started pouring heavily with lightning and thunder. We thought that our flight was going to be delayed. Fortunately, the rain only lasted about 15 or so minutes. It was weird because after the pouring rain, it became very sunny and there were even rainbows. It was still sprinkling slightly when we boarded our plane, but we were on time to head back to San Francisco.

It was about 10:30pm when we arrived back in San Francisco. It was very cold compared to the warm weather we were used to in the East Coast. Boston weather was actually closer to San Francisco’s as it was gloomy and somewhat cold.
-Diana Lin

This day finally has arrived -- the last day of our east coast trip! I actually have a mixed feeling towards this because it has been a very fun time so I do not wish it to end, but meanwhile it has been a good nine days of endless walking and lack of sleep so I do miss my actual home in San Francisco. According to the weather forecast, thunderstorm and rain were supposed to take place today, as we also did not have anything planned for today. Some of us slept in this morning and got some rest, while the other half of us decided to spend our last day in Boston outdoors under the rain.
We planned on the spot to explore the Boston Public Garden under the rain. However, we ended up going back to the Quincy Market as we wanted to explore more and buy food. We walked to the other end of the market to the harbor, then we explored about the gift shops and souvenirs. Next, we headed into the food market and back to the food booth where we bought our lobster rolls last night. Instead of buying a lobster roll, this time I decided to try the New England clam chowder. After lunch, we headed back to the hotel to pack up and check out our rooms. I actually could not imagine how I spent quite a lot of money when I step foot outside only for about two to three hours. Anyways, now it is the time to give Boston a big farewell, or actually say bye to east coast rather. On our way to the Boston Logan International Airport we go! We took the airport shuttle bus and arrived at the airport. We board on the plane and off we went to the airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After a good three hour plane ride with multiple attempts to sleep, we bought dinner at the airport in Wisconsin. At the airport was when we eyewitnesses how the weather can change within one minute, from a half cloudy weather to a sky filled with grey clouds and rain started to pour and lastly flood the whole floor surface, along with thunderstorm. As we thought that the plane would be delayed, we actually boarded on time because thunderstorm seems to be quite a normal thing in Wisconsin. We then board on the plane and just only five more hours -- San Francisco, I’m almost back! Throughout the plane ride, I had quite some difficulty sleeping as my back and legs felt painful and uncomfortable. Nonetheless, I still managed to get some sleep as tired as I was. Finally, at around 11 P.M., we arrived at SFO! San Francisco, home, I am back!
Overall, this was a very fun trip! It actually felt as if it went by pretty quick because we stayed only for three days in each city, along with our endless walking and lack of sleep per day. My feet certainly felt painful and it has been quite a long journey through these ten days. As we visited each city, I gradually enjoyed the weather more. Our first city, D.C., was very humid. Next to New York, which was also very hot but not as humid. The last city, Boston, has a weather similar to SF’s, which I enjoyed the most. Throughout our trip, we visited many colleges and the Chinatowns in each city, and they can be comparable to one another, as I see many similarities between most of these places. This trip reminded me a lot of history information that I learned from high school, along with exploration around the actual places (instead of just images from the textbook). This has been my third CCDC trip, and I realized that the number of days increases along with the number of cities we explore on each trip. If there were a fourth trip for me next year, I would probably expect to go on a fifteen day trip to explore four cities!
-Shirley Tsang

In a blink of an eye the trip is now over. Our days of walking for 10 hours or more is over. Our days of getting lost and trying to use google maps to navigate us is now over. Today we will be going home. The weather forecast predicted that it will rain majority of the days in Boston, however, it did not rain until the day we were leaving. That day I was really tired so I caught up on sleep by staying at the hotel while the others went back to Quincy Market and other places for shopping.
We left for the airport around 2:45 PM and we did a layover in Milwaukee. On the way to Milwaukee, the turbulence was bad that I nearly cried on the plane but I made it out alive without crying. At Milwaukee airport, for a minute or more there was a thunderstorm, so we were afraid that our flight would be delayed but surprisingly we still boarded the plane. After the rain there was a rainbow and on the picture below you can see the sunset.
-Lisa Yu

​Theoretically, there was nothing planned for this day. We made an impulse decision to make a last minute run to the Boston Public Garden with half the group since the other half was dead asleep. We ended up not going to the Boston Public Garden because people took too long to get ready, so we went back to Quincy Market instead to buy souvenirs. I’m not too sure anything interesting happened between our time at Quincy Market and our flight back to San Francisco; there was an enormous thunderstorm at Milwaukee minutes before our flight, but it ended so abruptly so there weren’t any delays. The rest is a blur.... I slept until we got to San Francisco. From my early childhood, I’ve always held a bit of unjustified resentment towards San Francisco’s Chinatown. I didn’t have any particular reason for it really, it just wasn’t too appealing of a place. Gradually, I started to recognize Chinatown for what it truly is—a local hub to serve low-income folks that needs it the most, whether through affordable services, affordable groceries, or affordable housing. It wasn’t until my visit to Seattle and Vancouver last year, and Boston, D.C., and New York this year that I truly realize the blood and effort labored by San Francisco Chinatown residents to maintain it as it is, and away from the tempting claws of high rises and technology firms. My passion for San Francisco’s Chinatown is not a birthright, it’s something that I’ve come to earn over the years. And just a disclaimer, I’m no age-old hippie that opposes technology and modernization. In fact, I’m all for those things, just—not at the sacrifice of neighborhoods essential to the livelihoods of thousands, perhaps millions of people.
Thank you Southwest for this amazing opportunity!
​-David Yi

On the Last day before we went back to San Francisco we ate breakfast in the Lobby for the last time. We planned to go to the Public Garden but our timing was off, so we changed our plans and went to the Boston Harbor. After this we went back to Quincy Market where some of us had lunch. We then went back to the Hotel where we checked out and went to the airport. At 4 p.m. we boarded the plane and went back to San Francisco. Overall, it was a very fun experience and I have learned a lot throughout this whole trip.

Thank You Southwest for giving us this Opportunity!
-Danny Yu

We are finally leaving the east coast and are packing to head home. While some decide to stay in the hotel, the rest of us were out and buying out last minute gifts. We had went to the wharf and although it was foggy and sprinkling, it was quite a lot of people. We also went to the Quincy market where we came across a comic store filled with fun stuff and ate the famous lobster roll. Honestly, it was quite expensive for a something so small but it was really tasty and good. I don’t think I can ever forget the flavor. We all went back to the hotel and packed and head to the airport. Only this time, everything was a smooth ride and I didn’t struggle with anything but the fact that I had missed east coast already.
-Angela Iao

Last day, rest day. Got camping the next day when we get back which is hell. I couldn’t sleep on the plane because I didn’t want to mess up my circadian rhythm (More psychology term yay). So I watched more Law and Order and Food Network. Thank you Southwest again.
So for my wrap-up of the trip. I really learn how much I appreciate California’s comfortable weather. I probably won’t be able to survive on the East Coast. I really can appreciate what I have here in San Francisco. I appreciates it nice weather, it relatively moderate size, and it’s more easily understandable transit (<- might be a bit bias there). Thank you Southwest for the trip and I believe this new experience helped me grow as a
person.
​-David Trang

It is the time to say goodbye to Boston. After I got on the plane, I fell asleep immediately. The flight dropped us off at Milwaukee Airport. I was shocked to see the severe thunderstorm warning. When I was about to email my TAs and professor that I probably won’t be able to make it back for the finals because of a potential plane delay, we boarded successfully. I am glad that we are on a Southwest Airline because you don’t have to worry about anything, everything is being taken care of.
-Sandy Jiang