Day 1 Alone in Berkeley: A Rollercoaster 🎢💫

Still jet-lagged, but finally settled into my apartment. Today was my first real day in Berkeley — and it was… a lot. Saw crowds of ambitious, energetic local students 🐻💛, and international students making small talk everywhere while picking up their IDs. How do Koreans speak English so flawlessly?? I couldn’t even tell they weren’t native speakers 😳. The California sun felt a bit too bright for this introvert 😅☀️. I briefly wandered around campus, got my student ID, then quickly retreated back to my cozy (dark) apartment. Tried taking the bus alone for the first time — but the driver switched mid-route and announced something I totally missed 🚌🤷♀️. Next thing I knew, I was going the wrong direction according to Google Maps 😱. Panicked and got off at the next stop… no idea where I was. My Clipper card wasn’t working, and I didn’t have much cash. Thought about trying another bus with my $5 bill… but then— Walking down Shattuck Ave, I ran into my first-ever group of homeless people and let’s just say… it was intense 🧟‍♂️💥. My adrenaline spiked! I quickly ducked into a small grocery store when I saw someone approaching around the corner. Decided maybe taking an Uber was smarter than risking another bus mishap 🚗💨. While in the store, I very seriously browsed around and ended up spending that $5 on a pack of gummies 😂. The Latino shop owner gave me a sweet smile — and only now I realized I just paid almost ¥40 for some candy 🍬💸. 👋 Anyone else coming in Fall 2025 or looking to make friends? Would love to connect — join me for orientation, campus exploring, or even day trips around the Bay! 🗺️🤝 #BerkeleyDiaries #InternationalStudent #SoloTravel #UCBerkeley #CaliforniaLife #NewInTown