15 days.
[forgive me while I stare at that number for a few moments]
In 15 days, I will graduate from the University of Puget Sound, barring some unforeseen catastrophe. In 15 days, I will have to say goodbye to a place that has been home for the better part of the past four years, to people who I have learned to love and respect, to an experience that a thousand blog posts would not come close to describing in full.
In 15 days, the following things will become part of the “past”:
Walking through the grove of trees on the way to the S.U.B.
Grilling outside with my housemates [even when it’s fifty degrees and drizzling].
Library-cramming the night before a long paper is due.
End-of-the-year celebrations with friends.
Cribbage matches in the ASUPS office in the late afternoon when the paperwork is finished.
Four years ago, the weeks leading up to my high school graduation were a blur. Between a state championship baseball run, senior skip day, an untimely arrest (it was a mistake, and got taken care of, no worries) and preparing for a Valedictorian speech, I can hardly remember those weeks except for the fact that I know they happened and were exciting.
For the next 15 days, I am taking a different approach. As much as possible, I’m slowing down and appreciating things as they happen rather than post facto. I’m literally walking slower, especially through the fir grove on my walks to the S.U.B. Unlike high school, I know how much these last few weeks will mean when I look back at my college experience, how they will serve as the final brush strokes on the incredible, intricate canvas of my college experience.
In 15 days, I’ll walk across the stage and officially graduate. Until that final handshake with Ron Thom, I plan on walking as slowly as possible. I’m excited about what’s ahead (more on that in my next post), and I am not going to spend my last two weeks + one day taking part in any melancholic nostalgia. However, that doesn’t mean I am going to rush to the finish line; there is too much to appreciate and be thankful for between now and then.
15 days.