No more teachers, No more books....

Graduation is only a concept. In real life every day you graduate. Graduation is a process that goes on until the last day of your life. If you can grasp that, you'll make a difference. ~Arie Pencovici

High School Graduation with my Best Friends (2nd from the left)

College Graduation. (Can we take a moment to talk about how much of an over-achiever I was in college? Yes, that's 3 medals, 3 cords, and about 7 pins. I wanted to proclaim to the world that I was a complete dork)


Last night I sat in my last class, forever. I have never not been in school, going straight from high school --> undergrad --> graduate school. No breaks. No extended vacation. Just kept going straight through. For the past 19 years. Wow.



I am the youngest in my family, and when my brother went to Kindergarten I was SO jealous. I would have my mom make me a lunch in my lunch box (the one that she was forced to get me when she got my brother one because I would have thrown a fit) and I would go eat my lunch on the curb outside my house.

I have always loved school. Fall is my favorite time of the year partly because I LOVED going back to school. I loved reading and learning, I always loved my teachers. But mostly, when my parents divorced and everything was crazy at home, school was where I got my routine. When everything was up in the air, school was constant.

In college, I picked my major (Sociology) knowing that I would need to go to grad school, and I just assumed get my PhD. So, I just kept going. I have never experienced an "end" that was really the end of school. But let me tell you, I am freaking exhausted. Even more than the normal burn out at the end of the school year; it is definitely time for a change.

It is so crazy to be almost done. (Technically I have two research proposals to turn in next week). I don't know how I will feel when September gets here and I don't get to buy new pilot pens and notebooks! Maybe I will have to go buy some anyway. I know that leaving school is not the end of my loving to learn new things. Working will be a whole lot of learning. I am diving into a new position with a steep learning curve. But I also wouldn't be surprised to find my butt in a community class-- maybe I can finally take some photography classes or some creative writing classes! The sky's the limit, no?

I am feeling very sentimental about leaving school but I am also feeling so excited for the next part. I am really happy and hopeful and can't wait to blog all about this next, very different, chapter.


You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go.
~Dr. Seuss