Hella Cool.

I am now back at my old university: getting my teeth into my dissertation, my final year and whatever comes next. I didn't want to shut down Berkeley Girl with the last image being one of sexual assault and inequality, so I will start by saying that the girl who wrote the last post was overwhelmed by the support and encouragement that everyone sent to her, both on and outside of this blog. She is doing really well, and taking steps to recover from and deal with her ordeal; she should be very proud of herself for her bravery.

This is my last post for Berkeley Girl. It's odd to think it's now been several months since my time at Berkeley ended, and how quickly the year passed. Settling back into the old routine at home has been more or less painless, although at times I still dress from head to toe in varsity gear, and my college sweater has become something of a comfort blanket. 

It was an incredible experience studying in California. I met some wonderful, enormously talented people who were a pleasure to work with. I was lucky to be taught by some fantastic tutors, who made my brain hurt enough that I left feeling considerably more clever than I did when I arrived. And I made some amazing friends, who are now scattered to every corner of the globe. I think what struck me more than anything else was the incredible drive shared among all the students to succeed, a drive that I'm certain will be realized after their graduation. Should their success ever bring them to England, I hope they look me up (Hannah Langley, I'm looking at you.) 

I hope Berkeley Girl has accurately translated the amazing time I had on my year abroad and the experiences- both good and bad- that will stay with me forever. There is now a new blog in the pipeline, which I hope will be going live in a week or two, so keep an eye on my various social media. (I'm going to buy a domain name! Like a grownup!). Thanks so much to everyone who has been reading and commenting through this last year, you have all been amazing.

For now though, this is Berkeley Girl saying thanks, Cal. It's been hella cool.