Go, Go, Go Shawty (It's My Birthday!!)

(But I ain't partying like it's my birthday.)

So, wow. What a whirlwind week it has been. This is my first official entry as a college graduate! It's so exciting. Well, no not really. I'm actually a little nonplussed. (Know what that means? lol. Thesaurus!) Not that I'm not extremely happy to have completed my undergraduate education and received my Bachelor's degree (whooooo!!!!!! <---------- my happiness), it's just that I'm in limbo right now. It keeps hitting me periodically, little bursts of realization once or twice or thrice a day. I'm not a college student anymore. I don't go to Carleton anymore. I mean I'm saying, it's a big life change. And if you know me, you know that me and Change aren't like good friends. I don't call Change on the phone to see what she's doing. (yes, Change is a feminine entity, deserving a feminine pronoun, because I'm a feminine entity, and it's my change. so there.) And I'd never go by Change's house to see if she wants to see a movie or go dancing. We're just not cool like that. (Now me and Comfort and Joy? Totally different. We chill all the time.) (Man I am loving these parentheses today! Man.) But anyway. Change. It's tough for me, hard to really realize (lol.) my status. I'm not a college student anymore; I'm not a grad student yet. Weird.

But anyway, today's my birthday!! I'm twelveteen (that's 22 for you conformists), and I'm finally feeling the beginnings of adulthood. I don't know what's up, but I just feel like an adult. It's actually a cool feeling. I thought it would be a scary feeling, but no. It's not. It's cool.

Just so I mention it, and give the monumental event its due notice, graduation itself was very wonderful. My parents and brother and sister and my grandma and my friend all came to support me and cheer for me. I was so happy, watching everybody file across the stage, clapping and cheering for people, lining up and then walking across the stage myself and shaking the president's hand, and then finally getting my diploma!!, coming down, tossing my cap in the air, getting handshakes, and hugs and respect from all kinds of professors, and then taking a thousand pictures with my friends and family, and giving/getting a thousand hugs. Yeah, it was a good day.

I mean, until the ceremony was over, and the stupid college made us all move out of our rooms by 5 p.m. (don't tell anybody, but I wasn't gone until 6:30. . .shhh!!). It was a mess, moving beds and dressers and everything back into place. Everyone rushing to throw out all their junk and cart their bulky belongings outdoors. Bleh. Oh, if you could've seen me, dears, in my pretty white graduation dress (the southern tradition, I'll have you know!) and my gold slippers and all my jewelry, lugging huge storage bins and lamps, a bean bag, a refrigerator, a trunk, and so much more. It was a ridiculous sight. Yeah. Carleton is wrong for that. Or maybe it's my fault for having so much stuff. Or maybe it's the fault of my wonderful friends for giving me so many things to with which to try and furnish a bare apartment (thanks guys! love to you!).

No, wait. I remember. It's the school's fault for requiring us all to leave in the middle of the day instead of letting us fully enjoy our recent accomplishments and crossed milestones. That's right.

Stupid Carleton. (But oh, how I miss it! LOL. I am a stew of contradictions.)