Over the past few days, as I have walked down Holy Hill–the area where several seminaries here in Berkeley are nestled–past UC Berkeley, into the city center to pick up some sundries, and then back to my quaint 11’x10′ dorm room, I made several observations about modern college/grad school life.

• In this college town, I belong to a minority: middle-aged, white, male, and gay; there are few people like me here.
• Ankle-high boots with shorts is apparently a thing.
• So is sitting on the lawn with a Mac and a Starbucks venti something something something. 
• Young coed women openly (daresay, loudly) talk about their sex lives–loudly and in detail–in line at Target or walking down the street. (Sexual liberation is no longer just for men, apparently!)
• Couples still lounge on grassy areas. Only now there seems to be ample same-gender couples.
• The smell of desperation from a young college man attempting to seduce young co-eds hasn’t changed a bit.
• Said young co-ed, dressed in short-shorts, still plays the game with prowess–owning him with her spell of part coy, part helpless, and a touch of twirling her long hair. (Men are still putty in their hands.)
• Walking is apparently very good for the BMI.
• The Prius is the official car of Berkeley and the East Bay. The Subaru comes in a close second.
• I actually saw people my age on campus. They were moving in their children or headed to the class they were teaching.
• Skinny jeans are SO in. (And cropped pants or pants rolled to the calf. Heck yes.)
• Oh, and apparently top-knots and bright-colored, ethnic ponchos are a thing.
• The smell of 420 is EVERYWHERE. Seriously.

And this is just the first week. Don’t even get me started on hipsters.
Which, for the record, I’m NOT.