The end of an Era

My chest is tightened today.

Friends are moving out or are already gone.

Graduation is a mere four days away.

This morning I had a Skype call with Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church and we talked about our future as missionaries for two years. In the midst of that call, our director told us to “not shy away from what we are feeling, for it is valid and meaningful, to lean into processing where we are coming from and where we are going”, and it hit me that college is over.

I never thought this day would come.

I remember sitting down and learning I had been accepted to Carolina. I remember the tears on my grandmother’s face as we said goodbye. I remember moving in to Joyner 312 and discovering how that old dorm would become my home for the next two years.

It feels surreal to be done.

On one hand, I am thrilled to be done with all of the assignments, papers, essays, and tedious tasks, never having to submit another quiz on Sakai ever again. However, I also think about study dates in Davis and the UL, endless vegan nuggets, walks in the arboretum and through upper quad that became a ritual this year. I remember the faces of all my friends who I have grown to love, and the passion they have to help this world.

I remember it all; the good and the bad.

My chest is tightened today.