See You When I See You

30 // There She Goes

"Dear Jo,

I think I'm in love.

I was meant for this city. And this city was meant for me. It's not just the palm trees, the endless sunshine, or countless gorgeous people – it's the whole feel of this place. Everyone here in LA is a dreamer, an artist, an ambitious soul trying to find themselves, and for the first time in a long time... I feel like I belong.

God, Jo... I love everything about being a UCLA Bruin.

Classes are easy, and the workload for my Communications major has been manageable this first month. I'm taking a cinema studies course that I absolutely adore and am thinking about switching into Film and Television after this semester. I also rushed for a sorority and I'm having the time of my life meeting people! Pledging begins next week, so that's exciting. I hope I end up in Alpha Delta Pi!

My roommates Charlotte and Stella are both from California. Charlie is from San Jose, and Stella's an LA local – they're both easygoing, which is a relief. We're planning an outing to the Santa Monica Pier with our floor this weekend. People have already begun coupling up, but I think it will be a long time before I think about having a real boyfriend again.

My mom got a DOG after I left (can you believe it?!) – a little brown and white Shih Tzu named Daisy. The dog barks constantly, so Mom's landlord isn't too happy. But she put in an offer on a condo and will be moving out soon, so she won't have to worry about Daisy barking all the time anymore. Dad moved to the Florida Keys with his girlfriend. He's called me a few times, but we don't talk for very long.

Oh! Jax came and visited me during my first week here – he and a few friends went camping out at Joshua Tree and surprised me in between classes. I wanted to take him to In-N-Out for their burgers, but he's decided to become a vegan, so we ended up getting Thai. I wish you could have been there to try it with me – everything here is delicious!

It's funny... nothing about my life turned out the way I thought it would. This time last year, I was convinced I'd end up at Princeton with Aiden, and that the two of us would stay together forever. I would have never imagined myself nearly three thousand miles away from everyone I love on the opposite coast, watching the Pacific sun set over the mountains. And as hard as it is to be so far away from both you and my mom, I am so, so relieved that I didn't end up at Princeton. I'm very happy here... so happy that I can see myself staying here for a long time.

My hand is starting to cramp, which brings me to my next point... should we switch to email? Aren't we too old for handwritten letters? I already know what you're going to say – that handwritten letters are timeless and more sincere – but the muscle spasm in my thumb mightily disagrees!

Enough about me. How are you? Tell me everything! How have your dad and sister been faring without you at home? Have all your worst fears come to pass, or have you let that go? What are your classes like, and is New York everything you've ever dreamed it would be? Are you writing anything new these days?

I can't wait to catch up with you in person when I come home for Christmas. Let's try to get everyone together when we're all back for break, okay?

I love you. I miss you. And I'll see you when I see you.

Yours,
Ly

P.S. – How are things with Marco??
P.P.S. – Don't you dare skip any details!

Josie smiles as she refolds the letter, sliding it back into the blue envelope before depositing it inside her canvas bag.

She keeps her gaze ahead as the world beyond the railcar blurs by in swathes of blacks and intermittent greens and yellows. It had taken her three days to learn how to walk in the city like a proper New Yorker. But with her long legs and general preference to keep to herself, this had not been a difficult feat. It did, however, take Josie a lot longer to decrypt the metro with its many routes and quirks.