WHAT NOW.

Yes, this is the only photo I managed to take all wedding weekend.

Thursday I took what you may have heard me refer to as my "Defense Against the Dark Arts" final, AKA my American Detective Fiction final.  Though if we're being honest here, the final wasn't just a test on Thursday, it was a week-long marathon that included turning in a 15-page paper the Thursday prior, reading two novels, giving a presentation Wednesday, and then taking the final.  And it was more of a stamina test than anything else.

But I digress. I submitted my application to graduate today.

So the question is what now? My highly technical, spur of the moment answer is "who cares?" I'm done! It's summer! Go outside and eat a popsicle! A dreamsicle even! Though of course this is America and everyone wants to know everyone else's dreams and ambitions. (If this were France, I'm sure someone would just hand me a bottle of wine and a goose and then we'd all go take naps.)

Well, what's next is I'm going to go see Harry Potter Part VII.2.  Then I have only four weeks left of my internship at the GU Press before my ten-year high school reunion and Uruguay! Astonishing!  My boss keeps saying things like, "but you don't have to worry about that because you won't even be here then!" And then she laughs, and then I realize that where I'll be when said event to which she's referring occurs is in Machu Picchu.

Sometimes I sit agape and have conversations with my ten-year-old self, who was plum convinced that she would never fly on a plane or go anywhere and see anything interesting in the world.  When I tell her all the things we've done so far (she and I) she's usually a little dumbfounded.  Which is only appropriate, because I'm a little nonplussed myself.

People keep asking me WHAT I'M GOING TO DO WITH MY DEGREE. In the same way that people ask you what you're going to do with your new speedboat, or your new box of water colors, or the dining room set you won on The Price is Right. This is a very aggravating question for me because, while I understand that having an advanced degree helps you to get a better job, etc., I don't believe that that is necessarily it's purpose under all circumstances.  What I'm going to do with my degree is HAVE IT. And appreciate the experience of having gotten it and maybe, privately, pretend I'm a little smarter because of it.  (And, yes, try to pay off the loans I accrued because of it.) Like a speedboat, a degree has a practical application, but I believe that practical application is advanced critical thinking in everyday life, not just resume dressing.

Also, I may take my degree out on the lake an try to do some sweet jumps.

And then I'm going to plan my wedding.