Goodbye Bellingham, hello graduation

Fragrance Lake

This last week has been one of the biggest emotional roller coasters I think I've ever gone through. So many happies, yet a few crappies as well. This last week, my roommates and I watched our favorite show in our house for the last time. For the last 3 years we have enjoyed watching this show, laughing and making fun of it (my guilty pleasure: the show- The Bachelor and The Bachelorette). We also had a "roomie night" where we sat at our big kitchen table, all of us together for the last time, and we talked, laughed, shared memories and had a wonderful dinner. Then on Thursday, my oldest friend (from kindergarten) Steven, and I went on a hike in Bellingham up to Fragrance Lake. It was a good 2 mile hike up hill and was quite a good workout and the view at the end made it all worthwhile.The view in this first picture is a beautiful view with the San Juan Islands in the background.


Saturday morning rolled around, and I woke up with butterflies in my stomach. It was graduation day. Never thought it would come. But alas, there it was. Got up, attempted to make my hair look good, threw on my cap and gown and went out into the yard for some pictures with my roommates who were also fellow graduates of mine. This would be the last time we would take pictures in front of this house as roommates. Good times in this house :)

 

Top left to right- Danielle, me, Kristin (Capp). Bottom left to right- Kristin (Schroe), Courtney & Martha

 

Maddie and I hangin out right before the ceremony

 

Blurry picture, sorry. Right after receiving my diploma. This was my immediate reaction to my family :)

 

There were 3 ceremonies. Western graduated nearly 2,000 students this day. 

My family who was there to watch me graduate. Left to right, Grandma, dad, me, mom & Angela. I missed my little sister, Steph!

 In front of my favorite building on campus :)


The graduation ceremony went very well. I say this mostly because I did not trip in my heels while I was walking across stage. It all seemed so surreal....thousands of people in the stands watching their kids, grandkids, siblings, neighbors, friends graduate....all cheering for us. For a moment I felt like his tough world was on my side. It was a great ceremony and I mostly felt feelings of excitement and happiness for college to end. I was done with late night studying until 3 a.m. only to wake up at 6 a.m. to finish it all. I realized I was ready for free Sunday evenings (and free weekends in general). Though working weekends may come with "the real world" deal, thank the Lord homework and grades don't exist anymore. I am done with that part of my life and I will not look back.
After graduation, my parents helped me clean up and pack up out of the house that 5 other girls and i have shared for 3 years. (So many people have told me that they cannot believe that we all were able to get along and stand each other for 3 years straight without killing one another. Well, I guess you can say with God on our sides, we all were pretty lucky to have each other as roommates).  As I was cleaning and moving out, my dog (Emma) was also in my bedroom with my mom and I as we were packing, and as my mom always does, she was talking to Emma. She said to Emma, "yeah hunny, we're moving Katie home!" Though this was the simplest and most obvious statement, I just stood there for a minute and thought, "Ok. So this is really it. I'm not just leaving this house for a week long vacation, I'm leaving for good." For some reason that statement really hit me and this sad feeling overcame me. Don't get me wrong- I LOVE my parents. But man, living on your own with all your best friends is pretty dang cool, too. Later that night after talking to my little sister on the phone, I realized how much I missed her and that this was really my last night as a resident in Bellingham. The next time I would come back, I would be a visitor. I hung up with my sister and my feeling of missing her and not wanting to face the scary world came over me and I began to cry. A lot. Fortunately my parents were there and they encouraged me and reminded me that I am a young woman who is richly blessed and that I would always be taken care of; first and foremost by God, and then of course by them and my amazing friends and support system. As I got home the next day, I opened some graduation cards from family members and their words, "I'm so proud of you....you have a wonderful path ahead of you....you will do wonderful things in this world.....I am so excited to see where God takes you...." made me cry again. "WHY AM I BEING SO EMOTIONAL!?!?!?!" I asked my mom. To be honest, I am NOT afraid or sad about this huge change....I am mostly just scared that this world will beat me up and spit me out of its mouth, with no remorse. I am so scared of not having a plan. This fear however, is making me trust in the Lord more than ever. 

My empty room in my college house :(

Our way of transporting one of my chairs to my sisters house. "Just hang on really tight!!" :)