Hello World - I'm a Graduate!

I'm an SUU Alumnus!
The last week and a half of my life was so busy and wonderful!
For some reason, I thought staying up ALL night to watch that Royal Wedding would be fun...and actually it was sorta fun, but only because I was with my friend Rachel. We made head-pieces that would've fit right in with the hats people were wearing to the marvelous marriage. Anyway, after being up all night, I decided I ought to get some sleep before I had to go to work, so I went home and went to bed at 6:30 or so. And it wasn't even finals week yet!
Then the weekend happened and I had to write a big paper (which was my only paper this semester for finals, amazingly) and I stayed up all night again to get it all done, and I succeeded. My biggest issue with procrastination is that I always manage to get my work done, so I never seem to learn my lesson.
"12 pager on Dostoevsky and Kafka due in 2 days [or tomorrow]? No big deal, I've stayed up late to get my homework done before, no problem!"
 Anyway, at least I won't be staying up late to write any papers for a long time...

Besides that paper, I had two tests, Music Theory and Spanish. Shame on me, but I hardly studied for either of them. Music was pretty easy all semester, and I gave up caring about Spanish class - as long as I passed - ages ago. As I finished my Spanish test, I consciously had to restrain myself from yelling hallelujahs as I nearly floated out the of the classroom. In the hallway and lobby of the building there were tons of people also finished with their tests, and the air was abuzz with the excitement of summer and graduation. It was infectious. The air outside was perfect and pollen-free, and the grass was screaming for attention.

This time, my last moment of school definitely felt like it finished with a bang. It was a bang that was  in my mind, but it was there nonetheless.

I wanted to do a "one-last-get-together" with my friends, so we met at Denny's at midnight. Like 20 people came! It was a smashing success. As fun as it was, there was some bitter-sweetness to the occasion, as it truly would be our last hang-out, maybe forever.

Then cameth the pomp and circumstance of graduation(s)!

I graduated from Institute on Thursday, afterward my parent took me to dinner, and I had a Cajun shrimp pasta that was SO good.

But the real deal of graduation happened Friday and Saturday. Friday was Commencement, and one of my English friends gave the student graduation address. He did such an amazing job! I felt better about my future because of what he said than anything else said during Commencement. My family was there and took pictures and supported me, like always (they're the best) and later I went to have cookies and fruit-scented water with all the people on campus.

Saturday morning was when the HSS department awarded diplomas, and the meeting went by quickly and smoothly. I was able to sit with my English friends for all the ceremonies, and I was even dorky enough to bring a sharpie so they could sign my program, which they all so kindly did.

After some last picture-taking, I gave my hugs and dry-cried as I said goodbye to my friends. Quite a few of  us are going to diverse places, but luckily facebook helps us know about our friends' lives if we like it or not. I feel like we'll stay in touch.

And now I'm writing this. It's the night between Sunday and Monday. I have no homework to do, or even to put off, as I'm prepping for a vacation that I leave for in less that a week. Following that, I will only be in my Poor Provincial Town for a few more weeks before I head of to -literally- the other side of the world to be an English Teacher in South Korea.
Who knew futures could come so fast?!

In other news, Sunday was Mother's Day. I love my mom! She is so good to me and my family. She also makes the best cookies EVER! Also, because of the holiday, missionaries are allowed to call home. I got to talk to my brother, who is in Guatemala for a little while, and it was really good to hear how he is doing. After talking to him, I went over to the house of my favorite family to visit, and because my other friend, also a missionary, was going to call home. It was wonderful to talk to her! She is one of my very best friends ever, and it's been hard to have her gone. Anyway, since I'm going to South Korea for a year, I'll get back just before she does, and when we finally can play again, our adventures will shake the earth and both animals and humankind will know that we are totally awesome.

So, here's to a totally sappy (but meaningful) post. Friends truly make life better. Getting a hug from a friend can be the best medicine there is. The future is as bright I make it. This post is kinda too long.

But, to conclude, after everything of the last few days was over, I flipped through my program and read what my friends wrote. Everything was nice and good, but at the very end of the book, at the bottom of the page, my friend Joseph wrote "With a bang!"
It was both the perfect finish to college and the perfect opening for the rest of my life.
Wish me luck!