It just isn't over till the fat lady sings

Or at least until you put on the cap (which by the way are ridiculous! definitely why girls should have been in charge of education b/c then we wouldn't have the silly hats ;) ) and gown and walk across the stage, have someone hand you the "diploma" and tell you congratulations. As most of you know, I graduated last December and honestly at this point I'm a little disillusioned with my life which puts me in a unique situation for graduation. Ever since I was a little girl everything I ever worked toward was graduation, EVERYTHING. You know those 5 or 10 year plans you had to make in Young Women's? Well this was always on the top of the list. Life after graduation was always wonderful. I was settled, usually in my head I was engaged to be married (although I would never admit that), great job and just had myself and life figured out. Needless to say, that was a fantasy and my life now is reality, not that reality is bad at all, actually it's quite great but it doesn't meet my fantasy and it's hard. Graduation was a good reminder that hey, I might not be living the life I want to now but I accomplished something great. I accomplished my goal and not only did I get a four year degree but I also was able to go on an study abroad and do an internship in D.C. which was better than I had ever dreamed. And for a moment when they handed me the diploma and shook my hand and told me congratulations I got a sense of fulfillment and a momentary hope and vision of what I can be and that people is why I walked at graduation.

"What we call the end is often the beginning

And to make an end is to make a beginning

The end is just where we start from

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time"

-T.S. Eliot