Saturday. The day of Graduation. As with any graduation, excitement is in the air. I woke up happy, at 5:30am, because today was graduation day. Karen, Mariam, and I walk to the caf.
There is just something special about being up before the sun. The world has a new sense of purpose. More life. More beauty. I love being up before the sun, and this was no exception.
So basically what we are doing over the weekend is arriving at every shift to see if anyone comes. If people come, like they are supposed to, to work the shift, we can leave. If they don't come...we have to work the shift. So we walk to the caf, and Ulises joins us.
He never returned from Gala last night, and even though Karen was a bit annoyed with him for going to Gala without us, he walks with us and plans on working with us. But it turns out that Isaac and his parents have the shift covered. We have the option either to leave or stay and eat breakfast. We decide to stay and eat breakfast.
I have been here for 6 weeks and 5 days now, and this was the first breakfast I ate. It was cereal and a muffin. And it was really good. We slide into a booth, the four of us. After Karen and Mariam eat breakfast, they decide to head back to the dorm and sleep.
Christa joins Ulises and I right before Karen and Mariam leaves. And then Eddy joins us. I have worked with Eddy in the sac for the summer, so he isn't a complete stranger. So Ulises, Eddy, Christa, and myself eat breakfast. Eddy leaves and Snow replaces him.
And then Snow leaves. And then Christa leaves. Ulises and I sit there maybe 5 minutes when we decide, after sitting here for an hour, it is time to leave. Ulises goes to the interns' dorms to get ready with some graduating friends, and I go and sit with Caleb and Christina for a little bit, and then I decide to head back to my dorm and get ready.
Yeah, I still have about 2 hours before Graduation starts, but I didn't know what else to do. I didn't want to go to sleep, and I wasn't sure if anyone would be in the lounge. After I'm dressed and ready to go...I still have like an hour's wait. So I sit on my bed and read.
Soon different girls start getting up. We were all just so excited. But there was a mix of sadness too. Most of the interns graduating would be leaving for home today. Most of the people I had come to know and love would be leaving me. It was a bit depressing.
I wanted to be in the sac by 9:30, so about 9:20, I head to the lounge. Trey, Caleb, and Christina are watching Master of Disguise, Andrew is ready, and so is Desiree. We wait for Rachel L, and then we all walk to the sac. It was crowded.
I was planning on standing the whole time because I would have to leave halfway through to check in on the caf, but after standing for about 5 minutes, I figured it might be a good idea to sit down. I sat next to Andrew who sat next to Christina, and the row in front of us were Christa and Desiree.
I text Karen about 10 till 10am to remind her about Graduation, and she said she was on her way. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to save them any seats, so we sat separate. The Graduation was nice. We watched all of the interns walk in with their caps (No gowns...just khaki and navy blue outfits) and there was probably about 200 of them or so.
Or that's what it felt like. The hour passed by quickly, with praise and worship, and a small sermon held by Ron Luce. And then it was 11am...the time I had to leave to check the caf. I was disappointed. I really wanted to see Graduation...but oh well. It couldn't be helped.
Christa and I left the side door, and we met Karen, Mariam, and Ulises outside. They had been sitting in the back. So we walk to the caf, and much to our delight, people had shown up. We could go back to Graduation. I was so happy!! Instead of going back in and sitting next to Andrew, I opted to stay in back.
Kaylah was back there, and I sat with her, and Ulises came and sat next to me. I watched everyone walk across stage, and I would point out people I know to Ulises. And then it is over. Ulises and I quickly catch up to Andrew before the room gets too chaotic, and we walk outside.
All of the graduated interns were in the auditorium, so we headed over there. Andrew took a few pictures of the newly graduated interns, and then we headed to lunch. I sat with Desiree and Priscilla and some others...but I was feeling a bit sad, so I took my food, walked through the crowd of family, friends and interns, and made it to the lounge where Mariam and Karen were.
They were tired, so it was really quiet, and it wasn't helping my mood. I don't really know how to explain how I was feeling at that point in time. Sad. Depressed. There is just something about Graduations...a happiness yes...but there is a sadness that comes along too.
All of my friends were leaving me. Maybe it was just reminding me of what this coming Friday would be like, when I would come back home. I'm not sure what it was. But I couldn't take it anymore. The silence was deafening. After I ate my food, I went to my dorm and wrote out my feelings on a piece of paper. It helped.
I didn't really want to be with anybody, and yet I did. But when Karen and Mariam came to the dorm, I went back to the lounge. They probably thought I was trying to avoid them. In a way, I was. I go to the lounge, and I am all alone. I listen to some music, and then Christina comes in.
I am in a better mood now, so I don't leave. She turns on her movie that she wasn't able to finish that morning, and watches the rest. Caleb, Trey, Ulises, and Andrew come in, and we watch Kung Pow: Enter the Fist. Philip and Snow went with Desiree to go cliff jumping, and Karen and Mariam and in the dorm sleeping.
Right when the movie finishes, I get a text from my older sister. She just wanted to let me know that she was expecting her third baby. I was taken by surprise. I Skyped her, and she said it was true. I was going to be an Aunt for the third time. I was so excited.
Anybody that hadn't heard I would tell them...and those that had heard several times, I would tell them. I was just so excited!! I had to go check the caf at 4pm, so I woke Karen up and we headed over to the caf. No one showed up. So Karen and I set everything up.
We need more help, so I text Ulises and he joins us. About halfway through the meal shift, Mariam appears, confused. "Why didn't you wake me up?" Earlier she had sent me a text saying, "Don't wake me up." So I didn't. I left her sleeping. But apparently she meant something else in her text, but had written that instead, or something like that.
So after her confusion wears off, she joins in. We served ham sandwiches that night. After we closed up, we walked back to the lounge. Desiree is back, and since we need to go to Walmart, she graciously drives us. We got things for s'mores, and we just got snacks.
I love Walmart. On our return, we put all of our groceries away, and get ready, because tonight, we are going swing dancing. Kaylah had been telling me about it all week, and it sounded really fun, so I persuaded others to join. Andrew, Ulises, Christina, Rachel L, Desiree, Caleb, Trey, and myself all went. Karen walked with us, but once we reached the sac, she left because it was too awkward. And it was.
It was SO awkward. We just stood there and watched everyone dance. I almost left myself, but then this guy named Dustin (I know him because I had met him at the mini muffin society a few times) approaches me and teaches me. He took it step by step, teaching me and two other "couples". It was so fun! I really, REALLY, enjoyed it!!
I danced with Dustin, Brendan (also from the mini muffin society), some guy who I forgot his name, and Ulises. About 11pm or so, I decide to leave. I was tired. I only had about 3 hours of sleep, and sleep was something I really wanted at the moment.
Of course, when I get to the lounge, I am anything but tired. So, as any would do in my situation, I made s'mores. I put my marshmallow on a graham cracker and inserted it into the microwave oven. Naturally, it wasn't as good as a open fire, but the microwave oven worked.
And everyone else wanted one as well. I even made Andrew his first s'more. Apparently they don't believe in s'mores in New Zealand. Too bad...they are really missing out. Karen wants to go to bed, but I do not, but being bathroom buddies, I walk with her to the bathroom.
We see not one, but TWO armadillos outside, side by side. So the argument was settled. Pedro and Dorito were two different armadillos. So I finish walking Karen to the bathroom, she goes on to bed, and I go to the lounge. I sit down on the couch and start listening to some music.
Ulises comes in. I was annoyed with him because I thought he abandoned all of us while we were swing dancing because he didn't want to swing dance. My annoyance made sense at the time. Now, it just sounds silly. But, to apologize, he dances with me.
And then Philip dances with me. He is a really good dancer, by the way. They leave to do other things. Kaylah and Thor are sitting on the couch, and Kaylah is on her computer. I am sitting on another couch, listening to music when I get up to go to bed.
And then Trey and Philip enter with Trey's guitar. Philip says, "We are doing freestyle rap," so I stay and watch. Philip decides to rap about me for a little bit, and then he moves on to a can of soda. I find it all so entertaining, that I stay up and watch and listen to them.
Three girls, new G.I.'s (graduated interns) come into the lounge. Really, the lounge is exclusively for G.I.'s. Not interns. Not volunteers, except for during the summer. Some interns don't even know about the lounge until they decide to stay a second year. It is almost like a surprise for them. So these three girls come in and put a movie on.
The movie looks good, so I start to watch it, but I know that I would probably fall asleep during it, and I know I had to be up at 6:30am. It was 4am right now. It would probably best if I went to sleep. Well, really, it was a nap. A two hour nap.
Nickel
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| Eating breakfast with Ulises and Eddy |
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| Getting ready for Graduation! |
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| Andrew! |
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| Desiree! What's up with the mirror? |
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| This...is Graduation. |
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| After a long day, Ulises and Andrew take a nap while we watch a movie |
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| Pedro and Dorito! Dorito is on the bottom of the picture |
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