just came back from a grad reception at trinity. i am not attending the actual ceremony (who schedules them for 10 a.m. on a tuesday, on a busy news week), so in a way, this was my mini tata to the institution i called home for the better half of my early twenties (okay, fine, i am still meandering through my early twenties, but anyways).
it was an odd feeling, sitting at strachan hall for perhaps the very last time, glancing over at the clock to read the beloved quote, “slow comes the hour, its passing speed how great, grabbing a glass of champagne at seeley hall for maybe one last time, confessing my forever love for dean allen (finally), catching up with (so few!) familiar faces, taking pensive (and not so pensive) shots of us out in the quad, reminiscing over quad parties, whit arounds, etc, etc, etc. all within the same walls that contained (and crushed!) so many hopes and dreams and aspirations, and vague ideas of who we are and who we’d like to be. things i thought i would never ever miss (musty tang of libraries), things i still don’t miss (sodexho food), they are all on my mind tonight.
of the few of us (i.e. 0T9), we had all done well for ourselves. more or less. gabe is master speech writer, erica is off to mcgill law school, olga is calling oxford home for a year, and the rest all in good time. it is exciting to see loved ones gathering their rosebuds while they may, but it is also slightly sad to think next year around this time, we will all be in our own corners of the world, having set sail onto uncharted territories.
on a more lucrative note, my ‘rents – as part of their piecemeal for choosing the southern californian sun over their daughter – are sending over $$$. it is sad/funny that i still think of money value in where-can-i-fly-to-with-this-amount-of-money terms (do i smell an around the world ticket i think so). i am doing just fine with my meagre (but wonderful!) journalism salary, but i am still grateful to know that should i decide to book a ticket to nepal one balmy weekend, i could do just that without worrying about diminishing funds and unfortunate scenarios involving overdraft bills and hard labour. and truly, it is these delicious thoughts of faraway places that keeps me in love with this world.
speaking of this world, i must stop mulling over days past and swooning over potential travels, and get back to my writing.
(photo courtesy of master photographer, papa jeong, hurrah family copy right!)
