First Day of School but Reminiscent Basic Salad

I made my first real "official" meal in my apartment today! After a very hectic couple of days moving in, spending soul-sucking amounts of money, catching up with friends, figuring out scheduling and trying to fall back into the routine that is school, I finally found a chance to actually cook. In my kitchen. My new, beautiful kitchen. Full of fresh groceries. Oh the possibilities!
After a summer of preparation. Of mistakes and lecturing, criticisms and successes, the time had come. What do I finally decide to debut the start of my independent era of cooking with?

Drum roll....
Wait for it....

SALAD! TA-DAAAAAAAAA!!

Not.

Except, it wasn't even out of laziness or time-crunching. No 10 page papers due or piles of midterms that need to be crammed for (yet) (yikes) (fudge). And my fridge is full of enough ingredients to give me many more options. Honestly, real talk, home girl just wanted salad. Specifically, my HSPH salads that I would eat for lunch every day.

But I miss the girl I ate salad every day with more than the salad itself. :(

Here is my attempted replication

Sometimes I ain't too hard to please.

This salad consisted of mixed greens (courtesy of BERKELEY BOWL woot woot. I feel like a true Berklian now), cut up carrots, red onion with soy cheese and raisins.

Then for dressing I tried a mixture suggested by one of my lovely friends, who has been a major inspiration and support in my newly embarked vegetarian/culinary adventure. She is actually also extremely into nutritional sciences and personal health, and so is essentially a great role model for me. For a visual, think Alice Waters with an Amelie face.

ANYWAYS, she told me she likes mixing olive oil, balsamic vinegar with a touch of honey. And I can't say I disagree. While not MIND-BLOWING-ZOMG-WHAT, the mixture together was tasty. I think the olive oil I bought is a lot stronger in flavor than the one I am used to from home/HSPH, but I still like that olive oil taste nonetheless.

Despite the, arguably anti-climactic dish, it nonetheless marks the beginning of my student-cooking life. It's like, before this was all just the build up and now I'm finally at the actual Beginning. Did that make sense?

Difficulty: 1
Willingness to make again: 10
Over-all: 7

Topped it off with a greek yogurt+honey dessert. Obsessed!

All in all, school is just, school. It hasn't really started yet since it has only been two days. But already I have been surrounded by all my good friends and can see a very memorable (and stroke-inducing stressful) semester ahead that I await with open arms.  (minus draining my soul in the library).  If there is anything I have learned at my time here it is that you can't expect anything but the unexpected. To junior year, OPPPAAAA~