Graduation

Warning: this is a serious post :)

I have not been looking forward to graduation. My college years have been awesome/fantastic/wonderful. I loved my classes, my friends, and I don't want to leave it all behind. I've been a part of academia for as long as I can remember and I've been good at it. I got excellent grades and have at least doubled my 'random facts' knowledge, which is a bonus in my mind. I guess what it boils down to is that I'm afraid- I'm scared of leaving my comfort zone and going out into the unknown workforce. I feel like my history degree doesn't make me any more marketable than before college. I don't know what kind of job I want to look for. People say that history majors can get a huge variety of jobs, but they always fail to tell me what those jobs are. That's what I've been feeling these past few weeks as graduation has approached. It was hard to answer/react to people who asked- aren't you soo excited to be done with school?!! I wasn't.

And then the day arrived- I went to my History Department graduation. And it was great! It was good to see people I had classes with and listen to the accomplishments and studies of the PhD and Masters graduates. The speakers were entertaining and the entire thing lasted no more than 1 hour. After we all had our names called and walked across the stage the audience was asked one last time to applaud the graduates. I turned around to see my mom standing and clapping loudly with tears in her eyes. It was the first time I felt like I had accomplished something. I had done something good and worthwhile, but now it was time to come to an end. My mom, Kurt and I went out to eat afterward and had a great time together. It was a wonderful day.

Then today at work my co-workers surprised me with a congratulatory party. We had rocky road ice cream (my favorite) and they gave me an alumni mug, UW letter opener, and some chocolate. I could tell that they really were happy for and even proud of me for graduating. It was a wonderful surprise.

College was great and I will miss it, but that's ok. I might not have a plan yet for my next phase of life, but life will continue whether I know exactly where I'm stepping or not. And no matter what happens I'll have Kurt, my family, and friends watching out for me, ready to help at any second. Thank you to everyone who has helped me over the past 4 years. I found my best friends, my husband, and myself at the University of Washington. My college experience has shaped who I am today and I like who I've become! Farewell UW- you're history (pun)! But I will miss you.