The reason I've been somewhat silent on this blog lately is because I was busy with graduating from college and then recovering from the chaos of moving home. Yes, I graduated from university!! Normal content should resume soon, with some Disney World posts and Friday Internet Finds.
On May 20, I graduated magna cum laude from Elon University with a BA in Strategic Communications and History with a minor in French. It's strange to think that my four years are already over -- but I feel like a completely different person than I was when I started, as cliché as that is.
my amazing parents and little sister
While at Elon, I studied abroad at the University of Sussex and the University of St Andrews, did a Winter Term trip to Disney World and Disneyland, and did internships in Raleigh, NC and New York City. I completed my Honors Fellows thesis project (and even got a scholarship for it!) on the salonnières, women who ran salons in Enlightenment Paris. I also worked for Elon's newspaper, history department, and comedy sketch TV show, Elon Tonight.
With my roommate Brian and best friends MaryClaire and Lauren
In all honesty, I have some regrets about my time at Elon and things I would do differently if I could do it over. I regret not majoring in Arts Administration or minoring in Theatre Studies. Most days, I wish that I had gone back to the University of Sussex instead of going to St Andrews (but then I remember I wouldn't have met my darling friend, Lucy, and I take it back!). And, I'm graduating with no job yet in a friend group of people who mostly have their plans sorted which has been difficult.
with my best friend, future broadway star kimmy
Those difficulties aside, I had a wonderful graduation day. I had family who had come from across North Carolina, Florida, and Illinois and friends who had flown back from being in LA all spring just for graduation week. Plus, I had my amazing roommates (one of whom was my freshman year roommate!) and other incredible friends. (And there's something a little funny in watching the first boy you ever kissed get his diploma!)
with my new diploma!!
All day, all I could think of was how lucky I was to have these stupendous, kind, intelligent people beside me. I perhaps summed it up best on my Instagram post, or rather Dave Malloy summed it up best with Natasha's line in Great Comet: "And for the first time in many days, I weep tears of gratitude, tears of tenderness, tears of thanks."
Check out my video for more information and musings!