over the past few weeks, i've had many opportunities for emotional outpouring. i sang in my final gentlemen, string theory, and bots concerts. i attended the grad mass, my last ccm event. i said goodbye to friends with whom i've spent countless hours rehearsing, talking, laughing and praying. i reflected more than i've ever reflected before. it hit me again and again that i was leaving, but never once did i shed a tear.
...until today.
with graduation behind me and the car fully packed, i was on my way out of the burg. but at the intersection of harrison and richmond, instead of turning left toward i-64, i found myself heading right, back toward the college. i parked at ewell and walked the few steps to what is, in my opinion, the most breathtaking part of campus. i stood at the steps of the sunken gardens opposite the hallowed wren building and took it all in one last time. i remembered writing the lyrics to "autumn leaves fall," choir dinners in the grassy knoll, and singing loch lomond and barbara allen on the wren portico. i remembered all the times i ran through the sunken gardens - to catch a frisbee, to avoid being late to rehearsal, to complete one third of an esteemed college tradition. and as i stood there, looking out upon the beauty that is old campus, it finally hit me. yep, there were tears.
but i didn't cry because i was sad to leave. as a matter of fact, i could not stop smiling. i cried tears of joy and tears of thankfulness, because i had been lucky enough - blessed enough - to experience something as beautiful as an education at the college of william and mary. i don't have the words to express how much w&m has changed my life. i will always hold a deep love for that place.
standing in child-like wonder of old campus for that last forty-five seconds was my way of paying my final respects. but when that time was up, i got in the car and drove back to northern virginia. today marks my return to the world. the bubble known as undergraduate education has been officially popped. and now, it's time to see just how much my experiences have changed me. it's time to flex the muscles i built, to put to the test every lesson i learned, every piece of knowledge i gained. it's time to leave behind the comfortable world of ewell 151, the catacombs, and flatbread pizzas from the marketplace. it's time to embrace the true challenge of life after education - to jump into the fray, to do something real, to live a purposeful life. here we go.
the purpose of this blog is to keep friends and family updated on how i'm faring. i'll try to update with details about whatever i'm doing as well as the occasional rant - though past experience has shown that it's best for me to avoid linguistic tangents... (if you're curious, ask me). :-)
as far as plans for the near future: i'll be spending my summer (may 25 - august 11) serving as a program staff for youthworks (just google it). i'll be serving in queens, ny, which means you won't be seeing me for a while - but it would be great to receive letters. if you write, i promise to write back. my address for the summer is:
First Presbyterian Church of Jamaica
Attn: Youthworks - Daniel Paris
89-60 164th St.
Jamaica, NY 11432
beyond that, i'm still waiting to hear back from the jesuit volunteer corps regarding placement for the '09-'10 volunteer year. no backup plan... yet.
so in sum:
1. to the college of william and mary, its beauty, tradition, wisdom, and community: thank you.
2. to the future: bring it on.
