The Third Degree

When I woke up at 6am on today … a Saturday … all I wanted to do was call Sara, Gwen, Melissa and my mom and tell them “don’t bother coming to graduation, I don’t want to walk. This is dumb.” I think that would have been a huge mistake.

The girls in the Urban & Public Affairs college are interesting characters. Let me try to paint you a picture … I wear jeans, t-shirts (sometimes a nice top (if I’m coming from work)) and flip flops to class … most of my other classmates wear skinny jeans (or whatever else is “in style” … aka uncomfortable), blouses, jackets, ginormous** sunglasses and Coach/Gucci/Guess/D&B purses. I went to graduation in an Old Navy jean mini skirt, a silk Amy Byer top, Teva flip flops and my semi-ginormous sunglasses. While no one could see what I was wearing under my oh-so-flattering 5′4″-5′6″ graduation gown, my shoes showed my classmates I wasn’t quite “one of them.” And you know what? I’m 26 years old and my only thought about their shoes versus my shoes was “they’re going to be SO uncomfortable in about 20 minutes!” They were. More than one girl in my department walked across the stage barefoot.

After running into my friend Laurabeth, I ran into Jessica (another friend from both fall & spring term) and then my epidemiology partner Ann came wandering by. I was just happy I wouldn’t have to sit alone, and so we spent from 9-10:30am gabbing and lining up and re-lining up. Fun times.

As we walked through the hallway that our local professional basketball players use before they head out onto the court, Ann and I had a fantastic conversation. We’ve been school-project partners for ten weeks now and knew hardly anything about one another. It was great to finally get to know her, and realize that she did my internship right before I did it! We are working on the same project! I was really surprised to learn that … and so we took a picture to send to Kris as proof we know one another!

Graduation felt insanely long (I had to pee for 2/3 of it) and since the Urban and Public Affairs school was seated in the back, I was in the 5th row from the end. Ann, Laurabeth, Jessica and I all carefully walked across stage, and I really don’t remember hearing anything after my name was called and I walked across the stage. I was nervous, I was excited, I was anxious, and I still had to pee. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life. I’m so thankful I didn’t turn back first thing this morning – it would have been a mistake.

The ceremony was over quickly after my name was called and I headed out to have lunch with Aunt Patty, Mom and Sara. (The rest of the parties had to jet afterwards for previous engagements.) We had some major laughs, enjoyed VERY tasty Southern food at The Screen Door, and took a few dozen photographs (which you should all be able to see here).

Mom and Aunt Patty ended up missing the graduation ceremony itself, but it was long and they would have been bored senseless anyway, so that all turned out okay. I got to spend the day surrounded by people who I love, who love me, and who have fully supported me through my second Bachelor’s Degree. I am so thankful to have them in my life, and today made me realize it even more than normal.

Sara, I love you. Thank you for always being there for me, whether by phone, through email or in person. I feel blessed to know you and be a part of your “family.” You know just how to make me smile, you know exactly who I am (and now why I am that way) and I’m so very thankful to have you in my life.

Melissa, I’ve known you since I was 13. That’s half of my life now. We’ve gone through some really tough shit together, and we’ve made it this far. You know me better than most anyone else in my life, and you have ways of finding things out, even when I try to hide them from you. Thanks for loving me, secrets and all.

Gwen & Russ, without you, I wouldn’t be headed to the University of South Carolina next year. I wouldn’t have applied, I wouldn’t have tried, and my life wouldn’t be headed in the direction it’s now going. I’m so thankful that I have you two as my second set of parents. I love you both.

Mom, you’re amazing. Seriously, you rock. You are my rock. I love you more than words can express, and one day, I hope to be able to explain it to you. You are the best cheerleader I know (ready? okay! S-u-p-p-r!) and I am so glad to be your daughter. You know when to make me laugh, when to tell me to behave, and you taught me MAD bargain-hunting skills! I love you.

To the rest of my friends & family reading this, you guys are amazing. I couldn’t have finished this school year without your support. I have the most amazing friends, from school, from church and from blog-reading. I vented to you all year about how much the choice I made sucked, and you loved me no matter how much I complained. I owe this degree to you guys, and I hope you know how much you mean to me. If you blog and you supported me through this year, please nab the blog-award up top of this section of the entry and use it to spread some love. Know that I mean that award with my whole heart. I couldn’t have done it without you. ZoeyJane, you had better take that award.

**Why doesn’t Firefox recognize “ginormous,” but it recognizes “Firefox”?

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