Graduate

So graduation is over.

Like completely.

We had the ceremony, got the degrees (in the mail, several weeks later), and we even had the party (from which I just returned).

There is nothing left.

It's weird to think I may never be a "student" in the colloquial sense again.  I started attending school in  pre-k, not sure how old I was, probably around 4.  I'm 24 now.  That's twenty years of my life spent in school.

And it's over.

'Cause, I mean I say I want to go back for my Ph.D., and even if I do, it'll be as a part-time/night student while I maintain a full time job over the course of several years.

But that's okay.  As they say, when one door closes, another one opens.  Now I'm on to bigger and brighter things, assuming I can pass the bar exam (and prove my citizenship).

It was a very strange weekend.  A handful of us got together for Lindsay's graduation party.  We toured Vicksburg while we were there.  We drank a lot.  And we all survived.

My diploma is sitting in a roll on my printer, waiting for me to find the time to go get it framed.  That may take a while.

Meanwhile, bar prep.  We're about to start week three, I think.  I have oil and gas on Monday, totally not excited.  I really need to do the reading for this one.  But I also plan to pack a lunch and head to the library to actually study tomorrow.  We have a possible graded essay due at 11pm tomorrow, and I may try and get that done.  But I still haven't listened to the property lectures, so that may not happen tomorrow.  I don't really think there's a point in writing a practice essay where I make everything up, but maybe I'll try it regardless.

This wasn't supposed to be a gloomy post.  Graduating is a good thing (assuming you can eventually pay off your school loans).  It means I've progressed and done something worth finishing.  I'm educated.  I've completed the first step in pursuing my chosen field and career.

But it's scary.  I'm living on my own in a brand new city, I don't have any friends I know for longer that four months around.  I still get lost.  I don't know where to part to get into the lawbrary.  I have no income.   No promised job.  None of my immigration paperwork.  I'm behind on bar prep.  I just got a new, more expensive power contract.  My lease renewal offer came through last week (so I have to decide where I'm going to live).  And there are hundreds of other little concerns and worries.

People keep telling me to be positive and to have faith.  And I don't think it's that I don't have faith or some degree of positive attitude, but that I've seen how awful the world can be, and it's worse when you aren't prepared.

Hope for the best, plan for the worst after-all.

But hey, I have a beautiful apartment.  I finally made some buddies in bar prep that I can get an answer from if I miss one.  The weather is gorgeous if I ever decide to take a pool break.  I got to see some of my law school friends in Vicksburg over the weekend.  So not all bad.

Now if I could just get this immigration stuff filed so it could start processing...