Ready, set, real life.

Wow. I feel like I have to much to say about this momentous occasion. Last Wednesday morning, I sat in my apartment and finished my last final--ironically a take-home one that I did in my pajamas. I didn't even have one single final this semester in the testing center! Weird. 

So I finished the final and turned on the radio and told myself that the next song that came on would be my finished-with-my-last-final theme song. The winner? "Paper and Ink" by Tracy Chapman. Some key lyrics that help convince me it was meant to be:

"money's only paper, only ink" (allusion to my imminent and very poor future?)

"the world we know will fall piece by piece" (um... does life go on after being a student for so many years?)

"sat down up close to the colored black hole" (yeah, sounds like the scary abyss of an unknown future)

"faced towards the sea, looked to heaven up above, felt the world revolve around me, no one could tell me otherwise. but the turbulent waters won't reflect this life, only the sun, the moon, and sky, and all illusions shattered." So... real life, eh? It does kind of make me dizzy to think about.

The other thing that kept coming to mind was this scene:

RORY: Ah man, you guys are almost done packing up your stuff?

PARIS: Getting there.

RORY: Can you believe we graduate tomorrow? I can't believe it. I can't wrap my mind around it.

PARIS: Oh, you're not gonna start getting sentimental already, are you?

RORY: That wasn't sentimental. That was incredulous. I'm allowed to be incredulous. I mean, can you believe it?

PARIS: Ah yeah, I can, actually. I checked out of this place the second I got into Harvard. I never get tired of saying that.

RORY: Well, I can't believe it, and I intend to savor every moment of it.

PARIS: Well, savor while you spackle.

Anyway, incredulity aside, the day I never thought would come actually did! Funny how that happens. 

At first I thought it was weird that BYU does two days of graduation, but I actually really liked it. I think I got to see everyone I wanted to see over the two-day period, and plus, you can't really have too many pictures from graduation, can you? 

Proof:

Day 1, Commencement

 Me with my cute friend Emma:

 My best commuting buddy, Lynzi. I don't know how I would have survived Utah's public transportation system without this girl!

 I think this picture perfectly sums up what I look like every time I'm with Lynzi: laughing.

 With the bestie!

 I got this sneaky pic of them (President Samuelson and Elder Perry) as they were watching all the graduates walk in. 

 One of my favorite photos from the day:

 I made Laurel take the same one:

 Miles was really maintaining the dignity. 

 Woot! C'est moi!

 We are so cute.

Couldn't they have found blue flowers? 

 Cec.

 Elder Perry:

I loved how he talked to us about having a balanced life. I think it was exactly what I needed to hear. 

Taking advantage of the great light:

 Love these girls. 

 Remember how on our mission, we took a whole lot of jumping pictures and got our bags stolen? Good times. No one stole our bags this time :)

 Editing friend, Audrey. One day you'll see this girl's name on the masthead of Teen Vogue or some equally fabulous magazine. Mark my words :)

By the way, this is what happens when you give your camera to other people:

 Or maybe it's just a younger sibling thing...

Day 2, Convocation

Waiting in line:

 Doesn't that guy behind me look thrilled to be there?

Here I am with a lot of my ELang friends. We always had a fun time in our classes!

 So Michael and I were maybe the only Frenchies who didn't get their degrees in French--dang those double majors! Michael's primary major was Spanish; mine English language. But we still did all the work for the French major, promise! We just didn't get to sit with everyone else...

Harms and Holli: Notice that they hadn't walked yet, which is why my tassel is on the "graduated" side and theirs aren't. Also, the different colors are for their bachelor of science degrees as opposed to my bachelor of arts. 

 These two making the same laughing face. Too bad that couple in the background ruined the picture.

 Two of my favorite people on this planet. 

 The classic pictures-in-front-of-that-sign-on-the-corner-of-campus: Courtesy of Gavin, my pictureman for the day. Didn't he do a great job? I love the sparkle from the tassel :)

 With the parents:

 And, since I don't have a husband but needed the picture...

 As we were walking away, I realized that the sign on the other side of the street has different words! (BYU's other motto.) So naturally, we had to cross over and take a picture in front of this one, too.

So, yeah. No more school. Still blowing my mind. 

Really, I am so so so grateful that I was able to attend such an amazing university. Thinking too hard about it right now makes me tear up, even. Where else could you go to get such an amazing education that ties in the gospel every day? I feel like I have really been able to make the world my campus, and I will continue to do so, but this campus will forever hold a special place in my heart. 

So proud to be a BYU alumna!