Officially a University Graduate!

It's finally done.  Goodbye senioritis... I'm not longer a SENIOR!  My time at Southeast Missouri State has been long and eventful; I have had some of the best and worst times here.  I have gained a lot of knowledge, but I am happy to be moving on to bigger things.  I will miss my friends and of course Andy & Toby, but as they all keep reminding me, the best is yet to come. 

A few of the graduating Tri Delts

The graduation ceremony was long, but I truly enjoyed it.  I loved spending the day smiling and posing for pictures with my friends and family.  I was blessed to have a lot of the people I care about at the ceremonies.  My parents, grandparents, Uncle Bill & Aunt Susie, Uncle Bobby, Andrew, and my brother & future sister-in-law. My brother, Joey, and sister-in-law, Le, had problems with their plane and ended up driving and staying up most of the night just to get to the ceremony!  Although they missed the Honors breakfast and part of the Honors Convocation, I don't care.... I practically ran over to them after convocation when I saw them waiting in the back.  They traveled in from Boston; my brother is attending Harvard Medical School so this was a big trip back to see me graduate at his undergraduate Alma Mater.  On Sunday more family came by to eat and have ice cream and cake.  It was a nice couple days, but very exhausting.  On Monday I turned in my last assignment and gave my last presentation.  After turning in my textbooks I felt an amazing weight lifted from my shoulders.

“For fast acting relief, try slowing down” -Lily Tomlin

If only slowing down were an option right now!  I am currently taking a much needed 15 minute break to write this blog post.  I have been up since 7am and at the library since 8am.  I have begun the never-ending (until June 11) intense LSAT prep and have already tired of its repetitiveness.  I will be here until 9pm this evening (barring a few more breaks for dinner and to walk the dog).  I have not been without a job since before I was 16, and this is a brand new experience for me.  However, I would go back to working long weeks if I would never have to look at LSAT prep again!  Unfortunately, I know better than to assume that is possible.  After a few days of this I'm sure I'll get used to these boring days, and eventually the library staff will come to recognize me.  Alas, the never-ending work of a future law student.....

My little station at the Library

On an even more depressing note, all of this LSAT prep is taking up time that I wish I could devote to dreaming about my upcoming trip to India!  It is also keeping me from packing up my apartment, spending time by the pool and with my dog, enjoying my last months of being in America during the summer, spending time with family, friends, and Andy, etc.  I cannot wait until next month!  As my very wise grandmother keeps reminding me, it will go by very quickly.  Because of this, I must spend my time wisely and efficiently, even when being lazy in the sun.  Since I love to plan everything I have a feeling I'll be packing that month with quite a few adventures and quickly marking off fun bucket list items.  I've been looking into a small vacation to the Smokies; but I don't have the time to find anything now because of studying.  Perhaps I'll just plan a fun vacation in the Outer Banks or on Gasparilla Island when I get back in May 2013. 

I guess I should stop daydreaming about all the things I would like to do and get back to studying.  Fun!  Just about 7 more hours and I'll be done for the day.... marvelous.  

    

 

The Year is Winding Down.....

T-8 days until Graduation!
T-38 days until the LSAT test!
T-68 days until I leave for India!

It is all getting so close... I can barely believe how fast this time has been.  Today is my last day at my on-campus job in the Dean's Office.  It is bittersweet.  I will miss everyone I work with, but I definitely look forward to a less hectic schedule.  Next week I'll be working double time at my internship, and then next Friday will be my last day.  I'll be very sad to leave my internship as well.  After all, that internship has helped me so much!  Plus, I've met some great people that I know I'll stay in touch with while I'm away.  Then that whole month of studying for the LSAT will be horrible, but hopefully will pay off.  I'm using the Kaplan Online program to help me study.  I sure hope it is working.... I think my dad hopes it is helping as well!  Then..... THE MONTH OF HEAVEN!  Thank goodness I'll have a month with zero responsibilities!  No studying and no work!  My poor family is going to get so tired of me.... Hopefully I don't annoy them too much.

I've decided to make a bucket list of sorts, but it is only going to be filled with things I can do following the LSAT test.  I do have an actual bucket list, but this will be something different!  I will touch more on my real bucket list in another post since a lot of things I would like to do this next year are on it.  For that month off though, I plan to squeeze a lot of things in.  I want to make the most out of my time with family and friends.  I'd love to take a mini weekend vacay, go to Holiday World, visit the St. Louis Zoo, have lots of bbq nights and bonfires (marshmallows!), shop at the HUGE Goodwill store that my friend Alanna told me about, go fishing/learn to fish with Andy, go muddin' with my best friend Kevin (and maybe go explore some old graveyards like we used to back in high school), tan by the pool, go camping, ride bikes, ride four-wheelers and jet-ski with my daddy, scrap and craft with my momma, spend quality time with my grandparents and my twin Sarah and my Godson Taylor, etc. etc. etc.  The list will be infinitely long.

So as I sit here planning everything that is coming next, I realize that I am kind of ignoring what is currently happening.  It is the end of the school year!  I am officially done with 5 classes (finals included), and I only have two more to go.  However, these are the toughest of my classes; I still have lots of papers, quizzes, presentations, etc.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel though.  Also, this week is currently my sorority's Senior Week and I am very sad to be leaving such a great group of friends.  I actually cried while I was getting together my wills to give out to the younger girls.  Our Senior Letters night was last Monday evening; my parents, grandma, and Andy all wrote a letter for me.  It was very emotional and... I cried.  Tomorrow morning I will officially become an alumni member of Delta Delta Delta.  Sunday is our Senior Chapter meeting and it will be a very long and emotional night I'm sure.  I know it seems like I'm highly emotional with all this crying business, but it really is just the stress of these last two weeks and all the emotions that accompany graduation!  I'm also in the process of selling practically everything.... most of my apartment items have already been sold!  I'm using that money to help me with this trip to India.  All of the things I don't sell before moving will (hopefully) be sold at a yard sale sometime this summer.

And finally.... speaking of money.... Anyone want to help with that?  Just kidding, but seriously....

I'm very lucky that this Fellowship is not only very prestigious and amazing, but it also offers a small stipend.  The problem?  That stipend won't cover everything.  It will cover most all day-to-day expenses, as well as room and board; but international flights, vaccination costs, visa costs, baggage fees, 'extra' travel while in India, any extra projects for the kids I'll be working with.... none of that is included in the stipend.  So like I said, highly blessed, but also in need.  Luckily I've done well selling a lot of the items I won't need while I'm away (most of which I got at great prices to begin with so I didn't lose much, if any, in the resale!).  That money has been put aside for the trip.  Also, I won't be coming home for Christmas; instead I'll be flying home for my brother's wedding.  My parents have offered to help me with some of the expenses related to that excursion which is great.  I'll buy my plane ticket(s) this week so I am sad to say that I'll be dipping into my savings (highly depressing).  Fortunately for me, I have been working numerous jobs over the years and have been an avid saver! Yay!  But I'm still looking into funding opportunities, as well as accepting the help of friends who are interested in helping.  More on funding later though...      

Ok, I guess I should start back on work and studying.  I have successfully procrastinated enough.  Wish me luck!
   

India & Senioritis

This post is dedicated to lots of info on India, and how I have an extreme case of senioritis. 

I thought you only get this senioritis stuff in high school?!  Ugh.  Good news?  The countdown is getting smaller until graduation! Bad news?  I'm currently sick with the flu and missing classes.  I guess that means I'll have even more work since I'll be playing catch-up. 

Hyderabad at Night

Moving on to India and my future home city: Hyderabad.  First of all, Hyderabad is also known as the City of Pearls.  As a Tri Delt, this must be fate.  The pearl is the jewel of Tri Delta.  It is the one jewel that grows, developing from a tiny grain of sand into a thing of great value and beauty.  Hyderabad was once a global center for the pearl and diamond trade, and it is currently deemed the "Best Heritage City of India."  Hyderabad is the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh, a political hotspot in India.  The Telangana movement is a widespread political demand of creating a new state from the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, separate from India as a whole.  Hyderabad is still the center of some strikes and minor agitations.  The city is highly diverse with a variety of beliefs and cultures making up the citizenry.  The city is comprised mostly by Hindus, but over 40% of the city is Muslim.  The city also contains extremely small groups of Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, etc.  The majority of citizens speak Telugu or Urdu, but a variety of languages are spoken including English.  Hyderabad is an up-and-coming tech city, but its past beauty is evident in the old city areas.  Hyderabad is located in an area where the northern and southern portions of India meet.  Climate in this portion of India is warm year-round, but hits its peak temperatures in March, April, and May.  Monsoon season will be interesting while I am there; it will have already started once I arrive.  Also?  Tollywood (2nd largest film industry in India after Bollywood) is present in Hyderabad!  My goal is to maybe land a part as an extra for one of these films.... I'll keep you updated on how that works out!                  

Click here to see a video the IDEX crew found about India.  It isn't specifically Hyderabad, but it's got a lot of interesting shots of India.  I hope there aren't snakes like the ones in the video.... I know there are, but I'm refusing to believe it at this point.  I hate snakes...