Put yourself on view. This brings your talents to light.
The last two days have been pretty excellent, which is brilliant, as they were my last two days at Drew University.
On Friday morning I woke up at 9:30, which is really early for me, and drove three minutes down the road to the hotel at which my parents were staying (I just totally rewrote that sentence so that it didn't end in a preposition, as I almost have an English degree and feel I should pay attention to that kind of thing). Anyway, we had breakfast and then I went to a rehearsal for chorale. One of the things that I've loved about chorale is that we sing at every graduation, so I've gotten to see all my friends graduate over the years (except for last year, when I ran away before graduation out of shame), and I looked forward to singing at my own graduation all four years of college. Anyway, rehearsal until about noon, and then I attempted to clean my room a bit before my sister and her boyfriend (whose name is Beau, isn't that a brilliant name?) arrived! My room was a fucking disaster area and I did the best I could with the low level of energy and motivation I had.
We went to Panera for lunch, and it was delicious, as per usual. Chicken Caesar sandwich. So good. Then I had more rehearsal before the Baccalaureate service (which, for those of you who don't know, is sort of an all-inclusive religious service celebrating graduation). The service itself was wonderful. All the readings were really cool, and I got to sing a couple of awesome songs and my family was there and it was basically excellent. Then we went out to dinner at Applebee's, which I always enjoy immensely.
Then we decided that since it was my graduation weekend, there needed to be some celebration. Most of my graduating class, I imagine, was doing the same on campus, getting schwasted and reminiscing and celebrating with their friends, but instead of drinking with my friends, I did with my family. I like them better than most of my friends anyway, but don't tell them that. Anyway, we all holed up in my parents' hotel room and played drinking games and had many good times and good conversations and watched ridiculous YouTube videos and it was basically fantastic. And! I was still able to wake up at 8:30 this morning to get ready for graduation!
Showered, my mom ironed my dress and my gown, I drove back to campus, got my fancy little card, from which my name would be read, proclaiming that I would be the seventh person alphabetically in my class to walk across the stage. We lined up, we processed, I sneaked out of the line and sat with the chorale instead of my class, and the ceremony began.
Having been to three graduation ceremonies at Drew over the years, I pretty much knew what to expect, but for some reason (probably because it was MY graduation) I was so much more captivated by the speakers (the class speaker proclaimed "be a nerd", which I think is great advice), and the ceremony seemed to be half as long as any of the others. When they called the College of Liberal Arts students up I found my place in line, the Dean who helped me out when I was failing classes because I was too depressed to go to class two years ago read my name and shook my hand, I walked across the stage, receiving an empty diploma thingamabob (I am brainfarting on what those are called) shaking hands with the president of the university (who loves my a cappella group), and attempting to not drop my hat, which fit fine until I needed it to behave. The picture the official photographer took of me as I left the stage will be of me holding my cap on, lest it attempt to escape.
Chorale sang twice during the ceremony, the second time being the Alma Mater, which I'm glad I know, because I feel like a lot of people have no idea what their college's Alma Mater is, or even WHAT that is. When the ceremony was over, my chorale professor, who I met a few days into my freshman year, and who loves me and was overjoyed that I was back this semester, gave me a hug and told me that he was proud of me. I found my parents and godparents and sister and Beau and godsister and godbrother and we proceeded to take way too many photos. I should upload one and post if for you once I get home.
Anyway, then I returned my cap and gown, and my dad practically forced me to drink some of the champagne they were offering to pretty much everyone. I'm not the hugest fan of champagne, but it was celebratory, and they had orange juice so I made a mimosa and it was excellent. I saw my advisor and she hugged me and told me that she was proud of me and reminded me of the conversation we'd had last year around this same time about me not graduating and how it didn't matter. She's really cool, and I'm really glad that she was my advisor.
Anyway! After that, Family, Godfamily, and Beau headed to the Macaroni Grill for delicious foodstuffs and gifts. The Godfamily gave me a generous gift card to IKEA, for use in furnishing the apartment I plan on getting with nickelodeon once I'm back in Massachusetts. Such a perfect gift really. Then my parents gave me a RIDICULOUSLY generous amount of money to go toward a new car. I've never had a new car before, and I am so excited. Not just about the car, but about starting my life and...it's just really exciting.
After lunch, we headed back to Drew and packed up my dorm room, which took absolutely no time at all with all nine of us working together. I said goodbye to The Cave, which is what my friends and I called it, and headed back to the hotel, where the nine of us just sat and talked and drank and ordered Domino's and generally had an excellent time. I kind of fell asleep before everyone left, though, and woke up at about one, still in my clothes, with the lights out and my parents asleep in the other bed. Whoops. So then I was completely sober and couldn't sleep, so here I am, chronicling the weekend for posterity.
At one point today, my dad said "You do realize that all these people are here because they love you, right?" meaning my Godfamily and, of course, them, and it just made me feel loved and important and...I don't know. I don't often feel that way, so it was really nice.
And my mom just woke up and told me to turn off the computer and try to get some sleep, as we're driving back to Massachusetts in the morning, so I should probably wrap this up. I'm sorry this entry is so long, I got a little bit carried away, I think.
Anyway! I love you all, and I'm really happy today, and that is excellent. I'm (nearly) a college graduate! What the fuck!
On Friday morning I woke up at 9:30, which is really early for me, and drove three minutes down the road to the hotel at which my parents were staying (I just totally rewrote that sentence so that it didn't end in a preposition, as I almost have an English degree and feel I should pay attention to that kind of thing). Anyway, we had breakfast and then I went to a rehearsal for chorale. One of the things that I've loved about chorale is that we sing at every graduation, so I've gotten to see all my friends graduate over the years (except for last year, when I ran away before graduation out of shame), and I looked forward to singing at my own graduation all four years of college. Anyway, rehearsal until about noon, and then I attempted to clean my room a bit before my sister and her boyfriend (whose name is Beau, isn't that a brilliant name?) arrived! My room was a fucking disaster area and I did the best I could with the low level of energy and motivation I had.
We went to Panera for lunch, and it was delicious, as per usual. Chicken Caesar sandwich. So good. Then I had more rehearsal before the Baccalaureate service (which, for those of you who don't know, is sort of an all-inclusive religious service celebrating graduation). The service itself was wonderful. All the readings were really cool, and I got to sing a couple of awesome songs and my family was there and it was basically excellent. Then we went out to dinner at Applebee's, which I always enjoy immensely.
Then we decided that since it was my graduation weekend, there needed to be some celebration. Most of my graduating class, I imagine, was doing the same on campus, getting schwasted and reminiscing and celebrating with their friends, but instead of drinking with my friends, I did with my family. I like them better than most of my friends anyway, but don't tell them that. Anyway, we all holed up in my parents' hotel room and played drinking games and had many good times and good conversations and watched ridiculous YouTube videos and it was basically fantastic. And! I was still able to wake up at 8:30 this morning to get ready for graduation!
Showered, my mom ironed my dress and my gown, I drove back to campus, got my fancy little card, from which my name would be read, proclaiming that I would be the seventh person alphabetically in my class to walk across the stage. We lined up, we processed, I sneaked out of the line and sat with the chorale instead of my class, and the ceremony began.
Having been to three graduation ceremonies at Drew over the years, I pretty much knew what to expect, but for some reason (probably because it was MY graduation) I was so much more captivated by the speakers (the class speaker proclaimed "be a nerd", which I think is great advice), and the ceremony seemed to be half as long as any of the others. When they called the College of Liberal Arts students up I found my place in line, the Dean who helped me out when I was failing classes because I was too depressed to go to class two years ago read my name and shook my hand, I walked across the stage, receiving an empty diploma thingamabob (I am brainfarting on what those are called) shaking hands with the president of the university (who loves my a cappella group), and attempting to not drop my hat, which fit fine until I needed it to behave. The picture the official photographer took of me as I left the stage will be of me holding my cap on, lest it attempt to escape.
Chorale sang twice during the ceremony, the second time being the Alma Mater, which I'm glad I know, because I feel like a lot of people have no idea what their college's Alma Mater is, or even WHAT that is. When the ceremony was over, my chorale professor, who I met a few days into my freshman year, and who loves me and was overjoyed that I was back this semester, gave me a hug and told me that he was proud of me. I found my parents and godparents and sister and Beau and godsister and godbrother and we proceeded to take way too many photos. I should upload one and post if for you once I get home.
Anyway, then I returned my cap and gown, and my dad practically forced me to drink some of the champagne they were offering to pretty much everyone. I'm not the hugest fan of champagne, but it was celebratory, and they had orange juice so I made a mimosa and it was excellent. I saw my advisor and she hugged me and told me that she was proud of me and reminded me of the conversation we'd had last year around this same time about me not graduating and how it didn't matter. She's really cool, and I'm really glad that she was my advisor.
Anyway! After that, Family, Godfamily, and Beau headed to the Macaroni Grill for delicious foodstuffs and gifts. The Godfamily gave me a generous gift card to IKEA, for use in furnishing the apartment I plan on getting with nickelodeon once I'm back in Massachusetts. Such a perfect gift really. Then my parents gave me a RIDICULOUSLY generous amount of money to go toward a new car. I've never had a new car before, and I am so excited. Not just about the car, but about starting my life and...it's just really exciting.
After lunch, we headed back to Drew and packed up my dorm room, which took absolutely no time at all with all nine of us working together. I said goodbye to The Cave, which is what my friends and I called it, and headed back to the hotel, where the nine of us just sat and talked and drank and ordered Domino's and generally had an excellent time. I kind of fell asleep before everyone left, though, and woke up at about one, still in my clothes, with the lights out and my parents asleep in the other bed. Whoops. So then I was completely sober and couldn't sleep, so here I am, chronicling the weekend for posterity.
At one point today, my dad said "You do realize that all these people are here because they love you, right?" meaning my Godfamily and, of course, them, and it just made me feel loved and important and...I don't know. I don't often feel that way, so it was really nice.
And my mom just woke up and told me to turn off the computer and try to get some sleep, as we're driving back to Massachusetts in the morning, so I should probably wrap this up. I'm sorry this entry is so long, I got a little bit carried away, I think.
Anyway! I love you all, and I'm really happy today, and that is excellent. I'm (nearly) a college graduate! What the fuck!