graduation day

I left Wellesley College in almost exactly the same way that I arrived at the college's main entrance four years ago: teary-eyed, reluctant, in a van full of my belongings and my supportive and loving family. After a whirlwind of new knowledge and skills, incredible meetings and encounters, the making of beautiful friendships and the sad breaking of old ones, the feelings of tragic heartbreak and incandescent elation, frustration beyond belief, and the relief of accomplishment...it's official: I am an alumnae of Wellesley College!

Today, I received my diploma, fancily printed in black ink and Latin on antique-colored paper and protected under clear plastic in an official navy blue diploma holder. I have received a B.A. in Economics and French, and now I am armed with that in addition to the W network, an increased awareness of the world, and a more urgent sense of responsibility as I step into the wide world of the unknown. But it is not that yellowed piece of paper, nor the opportunity to shake the college president's hand, nor the title of "Wellesley Alumna" that made this day so monumental, but rather the incredible feeling of truly understanding what an amazing experience that these past four years have given me.
I am embarrassed but not at all surprised by the reluctance with which I packed my bags and cardboard boxes to leave campus yesterday. There must have been a reason that it took so long for me to finally finish packing...I didn't want to leave! The beautiful friendships that we have built, the inspiring and encouraging mentors and professors that I had the chance to meet, the increased confidence, knowledge, strength, and independence that I like to think that I've developed, and the incredibly stimulating intellectual environment that Wellesley provides are all things that I will miss...already miss, dearly.

This Memorial Day weekend, my parents celebrated the graduation of two of their children, myself from Wellesley and my twin sister from Cornell! I can't imagine what it must feel like as parents, how proud they must feel, and I hope they know how amazing they have been. All the support, advice, encouragement, and at times, tough love that they've given us have all been essential, the reason that we were able to make it to this point in our lives.

gah.

I'm trying to be proud of myself and my friend about the fact that we've made it here, but I don't want to graduate. I don't want to graduate. I don't want to graduate. I don't want to graduate.

How could I possibly want to when I've got this?

And this?

Or this?

Or this?

senior week!

Since our finals period ended on May 18th, underclasswomen have been moving out and seniors have been celebrating the end of their undergraduate careers, and it's definitely been bittersweet. Lots of celebratory drinking, dancing, lying out in the sun, and all sorts of activities that we didn't have time for during our four years here...sprinkled with moments in which we take a sharp breath in and realize that it's really here.

One of the events that my friends and I went to was a casino night at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut...SUCH A BIZARRE PLACE. One of my friends won $200 in a Wheel of Fortune game, but besides that, not very exciting. When we realized that we were stuck there for 7 hours (the bus wouldn't leave until midnight...we got there at 5), we all groaned a little, but somehow managed to pass the time. We drank margaritas at "Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville", tried our hand at slot machine games, tried on expensive dresses we wouldn't buy at Caché and sat around in a ridiculous astrolabe-type lounge area that is pictured below. A strange, strange place; though we were all glad we had seen it as I don't believe any one of us will ever end up in a casino again.

Also...I got to play ultimate again!!! 15 Whiptails headed out to Appleton, Wisconsin to play in DIII Nationals, and it was GLORIOUS. We got to play teams we had never played before from various mid-western and western states and broke our seed! We were seeded 10th and then tied for 7th with one of our rivals from the Metro Boston area. All in all, it was a sunny,

gorgeous, fun-filled, exhausting weekend that I'm so glad I got to experience before leaving the Whiptails. Plus, I got to play one last time :)

The day after getting back from Nationals, my friends and I attended our Senior Gala, which was held at the Top of the Hub at the Prudential Center in downtown Boston! While there were some issues (not enough tables/chairs, not enough food...), it was a fun night, particularly because we haven't had many occasions to doll ourselves up for a fancy night out. We took

advantage of this occasion and took tons of pretty pictures of us in the gardens!

And to close out this lovely series of events, I was asked to play in the Cambridge v. Boston Showcase Game tonight with some of the best elite club players in the area/country! I was really anxious about it until the game started, but I think I did a decent job shutting down the Boston team's fastest female cutter! Tons of fun, and now I'm nursing some pretty bad turf burn on my left knee.

Now I'm packing some things in boxes and garbage bags so that move-out can be a little less insane...we'll see how much progress I make. Good night!

LIFE.

Anyone: So, what are you doing next year?

Me (yesterday): I have no idea.

-

Anyone: So, what are you doing next year?

Me (now): I'M MOVING TO D.C., BEEYATCH!

I don't actually call people "beeyatch"es. Most of you know that. However. I'M MOVING TO D.C., BEEYATCH! I'm trying to stave off thoughts of all the random things that I'm going to have to do to prepare to move there, but it's tough stopping the flood of concerns and questions that come to mind. It goes a little something like this:

whereamigoingtolivewillibeabletosurviveonmystipendwillibeabletoplaylultimate

But for now: celebration!! It is a 9-month policy research fellowship at the Institute for Women's Policy Research where I'll be working as a general research assistant on various projects concerning such women's policy issues as work conditions for low-income women, policy needs for women affected by Hurricane Katrina, paid family leave, income support for older women, and many others. The more I think about it, the more excited I get.

If anyone has any Wellesley alumnae or friends I can talk to about housing/life tips in Washington, D.C. please send them or their contact information my way!

yet another poem

My economics professor shared another poem with us in class the other day. I thought it was quite fitting as we head out into the "real" world and face obstacles and frustrations, whether they be managing a tight budget, finding a job, meeting new people, finding an apartment, or anything else.

Sometimes (Sheenagh Pugh)

-

Sometimes things don't go, after all,

from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel

faces down frost; green thrives; the crops don't fail,

sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.

A people sometimes will step back from war;

elect an honest man; decide they care

enough, that they can't leave a stranger poor.

Some men become what they were born for.

Sometimes our best efforts do not go

amiss; sometimes we do as we meant to.

The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow

that seemed hard frozen: may it happen for you.

Last Day of Classes!

Yesterday was my last day of classes at Wellesley College...so strange.

It didn't really feel like anything, particularly because I'll be here for another three weeks or so, but it's a big deal. I went to my last Spanish class and then to my last Economics class and then spent the majority of the afternoon wandering around campus aimlessly with my camera in my graduation robe and purple (my class color; it's tradition to be decked out in class gear for the last day of classes in the Spring). Then, I lay around in my bed for a while because I had no idea what to do with myself.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was filled with all sorts of celebrations for the end of classes and being a senior such as a huge outdoor picnic, step-singing with free champagne for seniors, and an outdoor concert featuring Passion Pit!

I keep getting these sadness-tinged feelings of nostalgia and nervousness about the future. This afternoon, I went to a luncheon at the French House in honor of all the French majors that are graduating. My advisor said to me, "La vie vous attend." Life awaits you. I know, I know. It's just hard to move on when you feel like so much has changed in your life that you've barely had a chance to catch your breath. I'm doing just fine, but I still find myself lying in bed late at night wanting to understand how everything happened so quickly and wiping away the occasional stray tear. Time marches on and I've got a life to live, it's true. I guess what I struggle with is the fact that though events will pass, time will move forward, the bruises, the scars, and the memories will stay.

I'm stronger than ever. I have my whole life ahead of me, and I know I have a lot in my life to be thankful for and happy about. These are just thoughts.

DIII NATIONALS

The Wellesley Whiptails are going to Division III Nationals in Wisconsin!!! The lame part: we only got the spot because the two teams in front of us gave up the spot. Whatever.

The good part: this is the best graduation present ever especially because my ankle's healing process has been going pretty well (4 weeks and counting of no running. Yes, it has sucked), and this might mean I might be able to play a couple points that weekend!

Even better: the Club Sports Administration at Wellesley College has figured out a way to secure funding for us so that our trip is heavily subsidized!!! YES.

Updates. again.

I haven't posted in a week, so I feel like I should write. Life's been quite busy; I feel like I've been running from meeting to meeting and cramming in work and study time in between. I guess I feel that way because that's how life has been for the past week or so! Today's itinerary consisted of:

9:15am-9:45am = Breakfast

9:45am-11:30am = Alum game

11:30am-2:00pm = Study for job interview

2:00pm-4:30pm = Rehearsal

4:30pm-6:00pm = Group meeting for economics presentation

6:00pm-6:45pm = Dinner

6:45pm-7:45pm = Final meeting for ANKHR Coffeehouse

So, looking at this, you must be wondering. Job interview? For what? Why are you studying? Rehearsal for what? What is the ANKHR Coffeehouse?

Well. Good news. Remember how I had that job interview for the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston a few weeks back? Well, I got another set of emails for another interview! Now, I'm not sure as to whether this is your "second round" interview or just another preliminary interview. But I'm studying for it because it's about my experience with data analysis and STATA. Yikes. It's been 2 years since I did my Econometrics project (which was AWESOME and an incredible experience), so I've been studying to brush up on my terminology and basic statistics and econometrics-related concepts.

Now, the second two are related: I'm performing at the ANKHR Coffeehouse with my band! I have one friend who is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE at the guitar and one friend who is AWESOME at the drums. For real. The two of them can think of ways to make almost anything I write sound about 1923838917918 times better, and I'm so excited to perform with them! I've also been spearheading an event for ANKHR called "Songs for the Silenced", an end-of-semester event to raise money for the Hana Center, a legal welcome and assistance center in South Korea for North Korean refugees, and also to celebrate a year of really successful events. I've organized for 4 other off-campus performers and groups to come join us, and my group will be performing, as well! I'm incredibly excited...though a little nervous. 3 out of the 4 songs that I am going to perform are new ones that I just wrote within the past half year, 1 that I wrote over the winter break and 2 that I wrote in the past couple months.

So many things to be excited, but so much to be nervous about, too. Wish me luck at this job interview. I want it SO badly. But we'll see if I am able to convey that properly in my interview. *deep breath*