Well, I did it. I am officially done with college (if my grades go through). It’s been a busy day.
First, I ran around doing errands. I braved icy roads as the snowy mix of sleet fell. I took a full box of groceries and cans to a food pantry on Graphos’ behalf. I had never dropped them off before, so I relied on the GPS to guide me to where I needed to adventure. The pantry was further downtown than I anticipated, but well worth the trip.
After the box was dropped off, I drove to the otherside of town to the West De Pere Elementary School. After being buzzed into the school, I gave the school secretaries a bag full of the knitted hats and scarves we created in Knitting Knights.
Once I was back on campus, I made a quick lunch of ramen before focusing on my senior portfolio. I just had to proof and finalize everything, but I wanted to spend as much time as I could on it to make sure it was as great as it could be. After I finished, I emailed a link to my professor. With the email sent, I turned on Netflix, finished watching the series The Haunting of Hill House, and began furiously packing up all of my lingering stuff.
At 2, I worked my last dish shift ever. Everyone kept asking me how finals were going (I was officially done at that point, just needing to pack), and double-checking when I graduated. Then they asked me my plans for the future. My plans revolve working as a full time manager at Culver’s while working part time for the publishing company 13th and Joan as I poke at other job opportunities. I’m pretty open to what I want to do.
As my shift winded down, everyone wished me the best of luck. I received a lot of hugs and other well wishes. It was nice to see that I would be missed. I’ve been working at the school cafeteria since the second day I was on campus. Three years.
I snagged some boxes from the cafeteria to pack up more of my stuff. On the way back to my townhouse, I dropped off my mail key. I checked my mailbox one last time and discovered someone sent me a sweet message. Unfortunately, I cannot read the handwriting on the signature, so I cannot thank the person properly. I poked around my friends to see who wrote it, but no one has claimed to be the author.
With my new letter claimed, it was time to turn in my key. The funny part about that, however, was that after I handed the mail person my key, they dropped it and couldn’t find it. Really? But they let me go and wrote that I turned it in. How ironic that I never lost it during my schooling, but the mail people lose it when I turn it in.
My last moments at school were consumed by packing. Most of my roommates left by that point, so it wasn’t even a somber good-bye. I just packed, cleaned, and left. I did wait for my dad to reach campus so he could help move me out. We filled both my car and his truck with all of my luggage, kitchen products, and bathroom stuff, as well as my fun board games, stuffed animals, and clothes.
When the time finally came for a RA to check me out, it was very anticlimatic. He was nice and kept the visit short. He poked his head in the room, but did not check over anything. He collected my key, wished me best of luck in the future, and left. My dad and I followed not long after. I closed the townhouse door behind me, making sure the door was locked. Then I got into my car.
It didn’t feel real. It still doesn’t feel real. Just another normal day–nothing special.
After a brief detour to campus safety to drop off my parking permit so I could claim some money back, we went to the McDonalds by school. My dad said I could have whatever I wanted.
I wanted a happy meal.
My dad couldn’t stop laughing at me as I dug into my chicken nugget happy meal. He kept saying, “You graduate college. You can get anything you want to celebrate, and you choose a happy meal? You’re such a kid.”
Well, it was a satisfying meal to me. And I received a spiderman toy out of it. Win-win.
