Graduation!

Last week I graduated from college! What a crazy feeling! I feel so old in many ways, yet so young in others. My parents were able to come up for my graduation services and stayed with me in my apartment. It was great to be able to spend the weekend with them and catch up with all that has been happening in their lives!

Mom and Dad split and went for a week-long vacation in Philadelphia yesterday. I am planning on going on a little vacation of my own out to Yellowstone tomorrow (Tuesday) with Guinevere and Clark! We just decided to move our leaving date up a day and so now I have to pack up and organize my life all in one day! It will take a lot of work! It has been fun going through all of my boxes up to this point because I am seeing symbols and souvenirs of old memories from as far back as high school! It is fun to reminisce, but it was so sad when I made the subtle realization that these things are all too much clutter to keep any longer. So, I decided to at least make a list of a couple of these things so that I can always remember them and the memories associated with them:

1. An Italian National Team flag that I got when the BYU soccer team traveled to Italy. We had the opportunity to play the Italian National Team and then traded souvenirs afterwards. I got it back in the Summer of 2004.

2. A doll that I got my senior year of high school from my mom. All of the lacrosse team's parents got together and made a doll for each of their girls on the team. Mine has a striking resemblance to me! It even has a red stick, which is my signature lacrosse identity! Good job mom!

3. The many many many letters that I wrote to my friends on missions during the last 5 years. Most of them are home and many of them are dating other people or married. I read through some of them one more time and kept others, but threw most away. I have really enjoyed writing to missionaries through the years. Their accounts and testimonies have such a strengthening power for me.

4. All of the information that I gathered together in the long process of taking the GRE, research schools, applying, and interviewing for various programs. I am glad to have a solid plan for grad school! There have been so many doubts and questions along the way about which location in the country and which school would be the best fit for me. The only material I still have is for registering for my new program!

5. Many of my DVDs are a few years old and just take up shelve space instead of being enjoyable to watch for me still. I am planning to take them all over to a store that buys back old DVDs.

6. All of the MANY cords and electronic gadgets that I have collected through the years, but that are now very outdated and useless.

7. A few pairs of old cleats. Probably about 5 pairs. Don't worry, I'm keeping 3 pairs of brand new ones that I still have from my soccer days! (2 pairs are studs) Don't let me ever buy another new pair again!

8. Most of my dishes that I have used for the last 4 years, since I moved into the brick house that Mom and Dad owned.

9. My get well and birthday cards from my 19 birthday, just before my first ACL surgery. SO many people came over to wish me well during that time and I kept many of them. I am sad to see them go.

10. This was an accident that I just realized about. But in with all of those birthday cards was a card from Grandma Thomas that she sent me just a month before she got really sick and passed away. I wish I had remembered to grab that! I loved getting grandma's birthday cards and I am so grateful for all of the many uplifting notes and phone calls that she made an effort to make throughout her life. What a great example. I will always remember that card in specific though.

There are many other things that have significant value for me in my life and there have been more than a few that have brought tears to my eyes as I realize that I am ready to move on to a huge new chapter of my life. However, there is something exhilarating about throwing things out and starting anew. I look forward to the new memories that will be made!