I'm on a train with no breaks. It's moving so fast that everything I pass is barely recognizable before being left in the distance. I stick my head out to get one last look, but it has already faded away. I have to turn forward to see what's ahead so I don't fly off the tracks and crash. It's scary, but it comes with a rush of excitement. Let me see if I can remember what's sped past me these past few days.
There was that whole graduation thing. I woke up really confused about what was going on. My parents and brother, Henry, came in the late morning to help me pack up some of my bigger possessions, and then we headed to Pagliai's for Ronzas (Come at me, copyright lawyers) because my parents are obsessed with those things. They bought me a cooler for Christmas one year for the sole purpose of bringing back Ronzas in it. Merry Christmas to me indeed. But I digress...
I jumped into my cap and gown and rushed to campus with Daniel where we were forced to wait awkwardly in a dark auditorium. Then, we were shuffled out into the dazing sunlight to slowly snake our way to the stadium. It felt rather like being led to the gallows, but Daniel, our friend Cait, and I (the Oxford comma is the best) got through with some dry humor that you just wouldn't understand and tassel 'coptering because ADULTS. We watched the valedictorians do some culty head-bow to the Joseph Baldwin statue in the middle of the Quad. Nerds.
I'm totally not jealous.
Losing a few caps to the unseasonably nippy wind along the way, we finally made it to the stadium. It was unsettling being in there for longer than 45 minutes before losing interest and leaving. Well, I still lost interest in 45 minutes, but I couldn't exactly walk out of my own graduation, so I sat very attentively and didn't make jokes or anything. I didn't even laugh when half a dozen graduation caps blew off nearby graduates' heads and Chinese-throwing-starred Cait in the throat during the most glacially paced speech in the history of the spoken word. The guttural "OUUUHH" that was punched out of her throat was a much needed distraction, and probably the highlight of that entire experience. Also, shout out to Molly "Beebee"--you are a treasure. I did the whole walking thing and received my "diploma" with a big "LOL JK, WE CAN STILL FAIL YOU" inside.
The ceremony was long, but it really was nice. My paternal grandfather and his mother (my great grandmother) were able to come, and it was nice to know they cared enough to drive all the way up to Kirksville just to see me so briefly. I saw them and took some pictures, then headed to Greenwood Elementary where I started kindergarten. Mom didn't seem phased until this point, and I must admit, it was a struggle to keep my composure as well. I remember being so excited to start school there. We would walk the few short blocks to the simple brick schoolhouse where I was introduced to the Letter People (never ever kick a man). The Letter People might actually be what sparked my interest in linguistics now that I think about it. I sure did love those damned songs. Anyway, it started getting emotional, but this was only the beginning.
Our little group of friends and their families had a nice picnic-style dinner at a park before we college grads ran off to have one last hurrah. I do believe this was the textbook definition of a hot, hot mess. By the end of the night, the bars were full of sobbing group hugs. I was so exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally at that point, so I said my goodbyes/see-you-laters and went to bed. The next day would be much harder...
To be continued...
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