I'm sitting at this desk, in this pink house, for the last time to write in this on-line journal. The emotions are wonderfully overwhelming. Pardon the Hallmark-like nature of this last entry of mine as an undergraduate at the University of California, but what I want to write tonight is sincere.

Today, I graduated and four amazing years at Cal officially came to an end. All day today I've been surrounded by the people I love, my friends and family. I'm so happy to have each of you in my life. Truly, I would not have made it without you. Each of you has shaped a part of me, each of you has played a role in my success, and each of you, in your own way, has been an inspiration to me. Thank you!

To my family: I love you. You are my pride. You are the people that have lifted me up to where I am today. You've been my strength and you've fueled my passion to pursue City Planning, to go out there and try to make a difference. I can't begin to even explain how much each of you mean to me. What I can say, is you don't know how many times I hear my friends tell me, "Wow Nick, you have a really cool family". I sure do. Our diversity, our drive to make change, our shared heritage, and our love for each other (even if it's tough love sometimes! haha) means the world to me.

To my friends at Cal, especially those of you that have been on this journey with me for all four years, we made it!!! I'm going to take with me so many memories from this time in my life, gifts from each of you, who have come to be like a family to me. I could not have asked to be surrounded by a better group of friends.

For most of us, fate threw us together freshman year, and we transformed what could have just been "people we lived with in the dorms" or "people we met at CalSO" into lasting friendships. I feel so lucky that we were able to stick together and experience Cal together.

As I write this, there's a lump in my throat and I have to fight back the tears. But I'm truly happy inside. Only something this good could be this emotionally tough to say goodbye to.

There will probably be quite a few tears tonight and over the next few days. There already have been quite a few, actually. We can't stop change, we can't freeze our lives in this place and time. And I think we all know, deep down, that we would never want to do that.

Something is indeed coming to an end. But as that old Semisonic song says, "every new beginning, comes from some other new beginning's end."

Let's be those Old Blues who grow old together and never lose touch. This might be the end of our time living all within blocks of each other, but its only the beginning of a lifetime of friendship that lies ahead of us.

We've got a lot to look forward to! I love you all, and once again thank you.

Go Bears!