thoughts on receiving a college ring

So two days ago, I got my Clemson University Class of 2005 ring. It was quite uneventful compared to the night that I got my Eastside Class of 2001 ring... No glitz and glamour. No friends there receiving their rings at the same time... no one to shake hands with... no one to take pictures of my new ring. I drove up to the Greer post office with $400 cash in my pocket ready to pay for my ring COD and no one was there but a bunch of Greer, SC bumpkins.

The lady that gave me my ring was really nice though. She asked, "Is this your ring?" and I replied that it was. She asked where I was grauduating from and I said, "Clemson." That is when it kinda hit me. There is less than a year standing between me and that degree. I can't believe that it is almost over. It's like it JUST started. Yesterday, I was recounting to Wilene, Katie, Bryce, and Julie about the first day of class freshman year when I cried walking back to my dorm from class because I missed Eastside so much. Now I stand on the edge of Clemson looking out over a completely unknown canyon.

I know that I want to go to grad school. I mean, that is pretty much a given. Until now, I had my heart set on the University of Georgia. But now that I am old enough and realize that Australia isn't really as unattainable as I once thought, I am seriously looking for grad schools there. Just today, Rebecca Poe (a former Tiger Band DM) IMed me looking for a couple football tickets. She told me that she is going to grad school at Nottingham University in England. I mean, that is so exciting! Little ol' Rebecca Poe going to LIVE and take classes in England. That was definitely a reassurance to me that I could go to Australia.

Tarik told me the other day that whatever I do, I need to get started pretty soon. If I am going to get any money to go anywhere, I need to apply now. Not just because it is best to apply early for money, but once the 2nd week of August hits, I am going to be RIDICULOUSLY busy with band, class, observing at Central Elementary, my awesome new apartment with my incredibly cool roomies... I just have tons to look forward to.

Just today I was thinking about how far it is until all that stuff happens. I mean, I can practically TASTE marching band... I can SEE myself in my new apartment... I just FEEL the excitement of being in that classroom at Central. I'm so ready for all of it. But, if I tell myself that I want to have applied for grad school by the end of July, then it doesn't look like I have that much time anymore. I mean, grad school... It just seems so bizarre. I'm ready though. A little lost, but definitely ready.

Up until now, I knew where I would be the following year. I knew in 5th grade that the following year I would be at Northwood in the 6th grade. In 8th grade, I knew that the following year I would be at Eastside in the 9th grade. I was even confident enough to know that in 12th grade, the next chapter in my life would be my freshman year at Clemson. Now that I am in the "16th grade" I don't really know what is next. I know what I want to do... but then again, I don't really know where I want to do it. Athens, GA; Australia... Where?

And another question that scares me even more... who will I experience this time with?