Four years ago on November 7th, 2000 I wrote in my journal:

My mom noted to the entire household, \”Bush is not a handsome man. Gore is a handsome man. People are going to vote for Gore. I am going to vote for Gore, because he\’s handsome and if I was younger, I would want to marry him.\”

So much for that. Four years ago on that Tuesday November 7th, I had forgotten to send in my absentee ballot and I couldn\’t get to my district\’s polling station because I was still in Berkeley on a school day.

Four years ago, I was an innocent freshman at Berkeley. I was less pessimistic. I was less cynical. I was ready to tackle the world. In 4 years, I express my emotions upfront. I am less afraid now. Yet, don\’t we all want to return to that innocence? Four years ago, I thought I was starting over. The world was supposed to follow in turn. Four years ago, I wouldn\’t have thought I would be here.

Then again, I never ever thought that far in the future.