Just An Everyday, Ordinary, Life.: Graduation Celebration

I just realized that I never posted anything about convocation, which is crazy considering all of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into me graduating in the first place! I am so incredibly happy that my undergrad is over, and though I will likely go back to school at some point, I'm really enjoying a break from it all. It's hard to put into words, but being a student really is a full-time job. It's always weighing on your mind - there is always a paper to write, an exam coming up, readings to do (which are always at least 20 pages too long) and classes to prepare for.

Graduation at Western is comically ironic - in typical "Western" fashion it is not easy or simple, and at a certain point you start to wonder if it's worth it after all. It's not entirely different from a big final exam. I arrived at the school at 7:45 am to pick up my regalia(following the directions on the website), anticipating an hour-long line that is the norm in university. However, there was no line, so I ended up being way way too early at the school on a very hot day. By the time that I headed over to Thames Hall to wait with all the other graduates at 8:30, I was already hot, sweaty, and tired. We were all supposed to be there at that point so we could receive important information about how graduation was going to go down, but in a typical move, these announcements didn't start for another half hour. There was no air conditioning or seating, which was something I should have anticipated. When I was talking with the other graduates I was lined up with, we all joked about how Western wanted to be part of one last traumatic event in our lives before they released us into the world. Finally, at 10:00, I got to sit down, which I have to say was one of the best things that had happened to me all morning.

The ceremony was actually awesome, I really enjoyed our guest speaker, and the day started to pick up after that. Crossing the stage to have my hood placed on me was one of the biggest adrenaline rushes I've ever had in my entire life. That right there made it all worth it - the lines, the heat, everything seemed so inconsequential when I realized the gravity of the situation. It was one of those moments that I will always remember. I want to thank my parents for making all of this possible; thank you for supporting me, encouraging me, and listening to me when I felt that I couldn't take one more step. Thanks for sticking with me, no matter what. I can't fully express my gratitude, either in verbal or written words, but I just want you to know how much I appreciate your love. I'm a graduate now!