Phew! I Graduated !!!!!

As I came back from my graduation ceremony, I wondered, whether it was worth waking up 6 in the morning to get ready and reach the place wearing the regalia for endless speeches, a final 5 second handshake, couple of photo shoots, and a fake diploma with a promise to send the actual diploma soon.

As I reached home I read this congratulatory email that said, "You have reached the epitome of success!" from Ash. But the next line in the email is actually what I have been thinking, as I sat through those endless monologues , "How's that working out for you?"

And although, I would admit, the degree itself did not matter at all. I had lost all hopes of ever getting a Masters and would be sitting in the ceremony. But somehow I pulled through all that to get my Masters and looking back, it really looks surreal to me today. I don't know how I managed it and probably will never be able to replicate this in future.

I have yet to feel the degree to have an impact on my professional life and career, but I will try to be optimistic here and believe in an old adage, "Hard Work will pay" some day!

But I would say the journey was the most interesting part of it. Without graduate life, I wouldn't have met the Freaks and friends of Freaks - some of them who I am pretty close too. Without the thesis work, I wouldn't have worked with an advisor who is a stickler for perfection and kind of helped me in some areas too. Without this all the endless parties, trips with the freaks would have never happened. Without this, participating in each others joys and sorrows would not have been possible. So as I look back I actually got a lot from my graduation.

I find myself still here in Baltimore and everyone has gone places. But as I graduate today, I think people are moving on and my graduation marks my time has come to move on too. Probably migrate to newer places but still do 'glorified cribbing' of the times in Baltimore and elsewhere with the Freaks!