And That's A Wrap!

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end..." - Semisonic

Today I officially finished the last class of my undergraduate career. Forever. In Russia.

How did my life get to be this crazy?

We shook hands with Dr. Maleshenkov and accepted our certificates of completion at the end of class. We uploaded all of our final projects and hugged the Russian students. We finalized all of our travel information. And, just like that, it was over. I stood back and realized that today was not only the last day of the semester, but the last day of college for me. I guess I have officially become "an adult" (whatever that means). Hopefully, it won't demand any new requirements of my maturity.

I guess it also means that my time in Russia really is coming to a close. We will be in Saint Petersburg starting Sunday and, though it's my hope to squeeze in at least one more blog before I leave for America next week, I don't know that I'll be able to blog all that much from here on out.

So let me just say that this has been one incredible journey. With this trip, I finally got to do what I have always dreamed of doing and have successfully made every college goal. I love Russia, I love Russians, and I love the Russian language. As corny as this may sound, I'm so incredibly blessed to have experienced this trip and so incredibly grateful to everyone, both here and at home, who made this opportunity so wonderful. I can't explain all the emotions running through my head right now as I'm typing. It's a bittersweet mixture of melancholy, shock, and excitement. But mostly excitement. Many times I have fretted about my as-of-yet uncertain future, especially as graduation draws closer. But Mom reminded me that I thrive on uncertainty and looking back, I guess that's true. And that's good because right now, I'm facing nothing BUT uncertainty! And, you know, I do kind of like it...it leaves plenty of room for the future and the opportunities that brings (speaking of corny...)

So here's toasting to the end of an era, ending with a bang, and to welcoming a new beginning. I'm so excited for Saint Petersburg and for every other new adventure down the line. I know that it will be crazy, difficult, and amazing.

So, again, thank you...and that's a wrap!