Knight-Life

Today, I graduated from college. It was a short time packed full of so many different emotions. The stress of packing and moving out, the excitement of what's to come, and the bittersweet sadness of saying good-bye's to the people closest to you. 

I'm currently sitting in a nearly vacant lodge, the place where some of my closest friends and I shared some of the greatest memories. My friend Jon was the last to leave. We had a short conversation, reminisced over the last year together, and I thanked him for the great times. After a brief silence he said, "take care, bro," and just like that, the last of my roommates were gone.

It was different than all the other good-bye's that took place in empty dorm rooms. Normally I was able to say those good-bye's knowing that in just a few weeks we would be picking up right where we left off, but this time was different.

Before good-bye's were like a TV show - you knew you'd see your favorite character in the next season, next episode, next scene, or even the next take. Today wasn't like a seasonal or weekly break in the show, but was more like a series finale. There is no guarantee your favorite actor/actress will return. You just anticipate the next show and hope they make an appearance once again. If you're lucky more than one of them will appear in the next show together, and chances are it will again become your favorite part of the week - the time you look forward to most.

I've learned so much over the past four years at IWU and I've come to value so many different parts of life. The knowledge and wisdom I've gained from others is something I will always be thankful for. The classes and practicum experiences are something that is impossible to put a value on. But the one thing I will treasure most are the friendships I made over the course of my time here.

If these past few years were a TV show, there were a few main characters that made the show great. There are too many wonderful moments to point out, and too many incredible people that make me want to watch every episode again and again. The "Lodge-Podge," Dusty, and JD are just a few of them, and I love all of you so much.