I walked across that graduation stage this weekend long with thousands of college students in the United States. I wore the stifling cap and gown, the tassel with the wrong year on it, the Shepherd University stole (which is the correct spelling, despite my disbelief), the child-like Honors Program medal, and the colorful cords for Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities and Sigma Tau Delta. I received the empty diploma cover, shook the school president's hand, and tried to take the speeches about the unlimited future to heard. As I was walking back to my seat with the empty diploma cover in my hands, I realized that the university officials had lined us all up, herded us through the school, and hurried us across the stage so efficiently that I couldn't even recall whether or not I smiled when shaking the president's hand, nor did I recognize who handed me that $30,000 cover. I don't remember thinking, "I'm done," or "I did it!" I couldn't take the speeches about, "Now we start in the real world," to heart- I've been in the real world for over six months already. I won't look back on this day and remember posing with the cover or with a plethora of college friends.
Instead, it will be the less conventional things that I plan to remember:
I will remember awkwardly watching the other students (who all seemed to know one another) run around excitedly before line up snapping graduation selfies and how much better I felt after lining up with my fellow English graduates. I will remember the rain alternate graduation route taking many of us on our first real tour of the Wellness Center, which we've had access to for the last four years. (The pool was very nice, and the locker rooms were quite festive!) I'll remember all of us poking fun at the sheer amount of stifling pomp and circumstance. I will always remember my favorite part of the ceremony-- walking past all of the English professors and receiving a hug from my Creative Writing teacher/advisor/friend. I'll never forget the girl behind me almost giving me a concussion when she slapped a spider off of my cap in the middle of the ceremony (apparently he was heading for the neck of my graduation gown). In case she didn't succeed in giving me the head injury, the Communications graduates ensured a few by producing beach balls that pelted everyone after the hat toss.
I'll remember that the actual ceremony was my least favorite part of this awesome graduation weekend. When I arrived in Shepherdstown at nine o'clock on Thursday evening, I was convinced I had just survived the most aggravating day ever (until I met a resilient couple hiking the Appalachian Trail that hiked over four hours to a car without their keys and a flat tire). My plans to have a "relaxing drink" with a friend at our favorite Shepherdstown pub turned into a party with a dozen friends and at least a dozen entertaining strangers (hence the hiking couple). From there, the weekend just continued to get better. Friday, my friend and I walked the streets of Shepherdstown goofing off and eating at our favorite places until my family arrived that afternoon. The partying really started with the arrival of my mother, aunt, and sister. We went on one of the largest shopping sprees to ever hit the Hagerstown Premium Outlets. We laughed for hours, two sets of sisters running around together. That Saturday morning, my father arrived in town in time for a nap while we ladies spent the morning on German Street in Shepherdstown. After the ceremony, we all gathered for dinner where my family got to me two of my best friends. Cards were disbursed and tears were shed. A Sweet Frog visit was the icing on the cake (or the topping on the frozen yogurt if you will) for the graduation family celebration. My father and sister drove home after dinner, leaving my mother, my aunt, and I to our adventures in Harper's Ferry. That great evening ended with a fun visit to the Devonshire English pub, a peaceful walk to the river, and getting to witness my first shooting star in years (something exciting and unexpected).
I spent Mother's Day climbing around the hills at Harper's Ferry with family and another great friend.
My mother, who is afraid of heights, not only crossed the bridge from West Virginia to Maryland but also hiked the path to Jefferson's Rock.
It was a beautiful day, and man, am I terribly sunburned. By the time we returned to Elkins Sunday night around seven we were all dead on our feet.
To track the driving I did this weekend looks a bit like this: From Elkins to Shepherdstown (SH), to Charles Town (CT), to SH, to CT, to SH, to Hagerstown, to SH, to CT, to SH, to Harper's Ferry to SH back to Elkins. WHEW.
So it was a crazy, fun weekend full of some fantastic surprises. When I left Shepherdstown for the final time, the radio was playing Eric Church's "Give Me Back My Hometown." My initial thought was, "Soon. I'm gonna be back here very very soon." As it turns out, I was right. My friend is getting married in the Eastern Panhandle next week. So I'll be back very soon. And very soon, I'll be back for good. The first degree is completed. In January, the work for the second one will begin.
