conGraduations!

Today I graduated from the U of M. Even though people have asked me all day, "What do you think, how do you feel??" I'm still not sure what to say! It feels great to be done, but not so much in the surging excitement sort of way as it is a quiet relief.

No more daily quizzes, tests and papers, or making sleep sacrifices to the insatiable god of procrastination? After a lifetime of schooling, it seems unbelievable. What comes after this? We'll see! But I think this summer will keep me plenty occupied as I plod toward a life without eternal institutional evaluations. Dad reminded me, though, as I mentioned this to him, that I may no longer have letter grades, but will still be confronted with bonuses, promotions, tax-breaks, and other systems that "grade" in a more consequential way. Oh boy.

The day went really well, though! We drove past all my old schools along the way before arriving at the present, last one. The U was swarming with people. Seniors wearing the traditional black gowns and families bathed in exultant smiles. Check-in felt like a demonstration of cattle herding as we were all funneled through the basement of Mariucci Arena and out to the exhibition. When we got to our seats, I immediately whipped out the crocheting I had already hidden under my gown and went to work industriously. Being exceedingly frugal, I chose to use the ceremonial garb left over from high school and make my own tassel. It turned out fairly well, and is bound to be more memorable than the simply buying one. The ceremony only lasted a little over 2 hours, an organizational feat for having 1200 students walk across the stage (or so the rumour goes!).

Afterward we took pictures and soon whisked away to satisfy the longing of our stomachs. When I first moved into the dorm 2 years ago, Mom, Dad, and I went to Davanni's for supper before the final break. So, to complete the circle, that's where we went today, this time with considerably less junk in the car. (although we did go dumpster diving around the Superblock first.) Got a slug of goodies from the Asian supermarket, United Noodle, and finished off the celebrations with some deliciousness at Coldstone.

It was such a lovely day, full of a sense of accomplishment, seeing former classmates, and the new friends I've made here. And to finish the day, I got to test the bedtime of summer in a long chat spent with an old friend hearkening all the way back to kindergarten.