Oh, May. Where did you go?
I was too busy graduating with my Masters of Arts degree in Student Affairs Administration to bother with silly things like time and calendars.
Let's have that soak in for a minute...
Me! Now with a Masters Degree!
Wheeeee!!!
(The fact that that rhymes just makes it all the better in my mind.)
A part of my wants to play humble and be all "oh it wasn't THAT hard." But a bigger part of me is like "shut UP! I worked my ass off for this thing while dealing with freshmen and the aftermath of an abusive relationship so freakin' cel-e-braaaate!!"
So that's what I've been doing.
My graduation day (May 8, 2009) was a blur. That whole week leading up to it was pretty blurry, really. Between doing staff evaluations, saying goodbye to people in my hall/job/class and coordinating family and friend arrivals in the midst of celebrating this auspicious ocassion made for one fast and crazy week. Everyone "advised" to take time for ourselves (read: classmates and I) but there was almost no way to do that. There were very important final bar nights to be had, papers to be written and goodbyes to be said. So there was no time to really allow the huge fact that I was graduating to sink in.
Really, I don't know if it has yet. I got the email from the Registrar's office this past week officially confirming that I had earned my degree. That was a good moment, though I knew that was coming. (They don't let you fail once you're in. It's a very supportive environment.) Once graduation weekend was over I made it a priority to spend quality time with my friends who stuck around. Most of them have bid adieu to MSU at this point, so it's only now, at the very end of the month that I'm getting the chance to really let it all...in.
And even now I haven't necessarily given myself the time and space that I need to reflect and do a personal victory dance. I have come so far and accomplished SO. MUCH. I can't deny that fact. I truly need to celebrate that...though I'm not sure how. Until I have the answer to that all I can do is smile and glow a little because this is not something that I'm going to play down. Hell no. I worked hard for this degree. And do you think I'm going to put "MA" after my name on my new business cards? Fuck yes I am. I've earned that fact in so many ways.
That will have to be my little victory celebration for the time being. Because I will be in the midst of a move myself this week. (Uuuugh.) Along with that comes the unknown and the panic about the next couple of months sans paycheck and funding a move out-of-state. I also want a newer car (Rexy, I love you but I think our time together may be ending soon...I hope.) so I need to figure out what I'm going to do about that. (By the by if you have a car you want to, uh, give to me or sell to me for very VERY cheap let me know and you'll have my eternal love. Seriously.) All of these things factor into a not-so-big celebration for me at the moment.
I'm ok with that, though. Because I know this is only transitory and temporary. I know things will work out. And I know that no matter what, I have my Masters Degree and that fact means more to me than almost anything. If I can survive two years of grad school at a (sometimes pretentious and overbaring) Big Ten institution while dealing with a personal trauma I think I can handle anything.