Is it weird to already feel that graduation is long past? While meeting new people, I am constantly reminded that I only recently graduated from college, but when actually thinking about graduation, to me, it seems like an event long past.
Remembering back to the end of the semester and the days leading up to graduation, I was a little bit anxious, very much scared and insecure about what was to come next, and generally lost about a direction for post-graduate life. No doubt, I was happy to be through with school, at least for a little while, but the insecurity (or soon to be found freedom?) dampened much of that excitement.
It was maybe a week before the date of graduation that I decided that I'd punt figuring out life until the end of the summer, and that I'd return to Taiwan to do a bit of volunteering, thinking that the experience and opportunity would allow me more time to know myself, to see more of the world, and remove myself from the quirky little community that is Olin that I've placed myself into for four years of my life. We'll see at the end of summer how well my plan has worked. I've had some difficulty getting logistical details worked out with the people I'm volunteering with, but it seems that at least come July, I will have many things to do.
Soon after, I decided to join the caravan that was cross-country roadtripping to southern California. I had yet to purchase my plane ticket across the Pacific, and I figured tickets were likely cheaper on the west coast, than on the east coast. Not sure if that actually was true, as I didn't end up comparing prices, but I did land myself a pretty good deal at roundtrip tickets for 900USD.
For the rest of the time that I didn't spend worrying and trying to decide what I should do with myself, much of it was spent with the class of 2009, all 72 of them, be it just being silly, or commiserating about our parting ways, or celebrating the beginning of an end. Many things dumb, many things merry, and even more drunk. But since it was graduation time, we all let ourselves slide a bit. Afterall, we can't really relive the days of college, right?
Come graduation day, I managed to have most of my belongings packed by the morning, minus living essentials, and walked around to see people, some, sadly, for the last time in a while. Family showed up mid-morning, and did the little bit of showing around of Olin's tiny campus that was possible. Pretty soon, it was time for the actual commencement ceremony, and we, the class of 2009, all left our families in preparation of.
Commencement itself was short. In traditional Olin manner, we had an outside speaker, Faculty/Staff speaker, and a student speaker. Mark Chang delivered
words on behalf of the Olin Faculty and Staff, while Bennett Chabot delivered
words on behalf of the Class of 2009. A
podcast of the entire commencement ceremony should also be available soon.
Post commencement was lots of congratulatory words, lots of
pictures, lots of hugs. Final goodbyes to professors, kids, and staff. Oh Olin. What a place. Thanks for four years of good fun and memories to last a lifetime.
