DONE!

I’m done! I finished Grad School! Yesterday, I defended my thesis, and passed my oral exam. Thus completes 7 years at university and two degrees. I feel…

I’m not sure what I feel. I know it hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m elated, and sad and happy and tired. Mostly tired. Drained I think would be a more accurate verb. I am scholarly drained. I have so much to do at home, and I look at the messes I have to clean up and think…tomorrow, or the next day, not now. I will get to the dishes, and to the messes. But right now I’m spent.

Part of me is thinking what next. I have my Bachelor’s and my Master’s. PhD? Maybe. Not yet. I need more time to learn things. Right now I have my job and I am VERY SLOWLY integrating into my work there. Very slowly learning all I need to learn, going through hours and hours of training. I have more days where I feel comfortable, but some still where I feel like I know nothing, I’m behind, and I’m lost. Those feelings will fade I think, or at least diminish into the background as I catch up to the others, but eep.

It will feel very strange not going to school after Labor Day. For 23 years I have gone to school every fall. This will be the first time I haven’t. Ever. I don’t know what I’m going to do on September 5. I may morn, I may jump for joy. I may plan a happy hour to celebrate. We’ll see.

Speaking of happy hour, that’s what I did last night with my coworkers. Go out and celebrate my ability to continue working my job (because it was contingent on finishing my degree in 6 months).

Now I just hope that the rain stays away long enough to go golfing tonight.