It’s been almost two months since I’ve written and my, what a time it’s been.

In a few short weeks, there have been birthdays, parties, dancing, holidays, working, office hours, lab sessions, team meetings, due dates, presentations, celebrations, back to the grind, days and days living in The Lab, days and days of a personal soundtrack, days and days of caffeine coursing through my veins, days and days of passion fueling outcome, days and days lost thanks to no sleep and days and days of work come down to one single defining moment as I walked across a stage.

I’ve graduated. Wow. Now that it’s had time to sink in and I’ve allowed for some reflection and some self-realizations, I’m okay. It’s probably better that I’m writing now and not two weeks ago; even such a short time ago, I would have probably been freaking out. I was. I had to come to some things by myself. Things I was expecting to be told by those who had been here before weren’t passed on to me. Things everyone must come to on their own.

“Congratulations,” they’d say. Everyone would say it. They didn’t warn me for what would come after. The realization that there would be no more structure as I had known it for eighteen years of my life. Life as I knew it (since I could remember) was shattered. The thing I had been working toward all my life was just a fleeting memory in just a matter of minutes. What an utterly flooring and awesome feeling. It’s as if there is nothing and everything ahead of me. Badass.

I’ve had some time to relax and sleep some finally. Much deserved. I’m back at home for Christmas now (hope you had a good one) and I’ve packed one of my favorite books in my overnight bag (funny how lacking a proper bed changes your perception of a long weekend at home), The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. It’s such an intriguing and thought-inspiring book. The general concept of the book is that even small things can effect huge societal events.

It’s absolutely mind-blowing how much this theme has found its way into my life the past few months. No one but me can grasp this ridiculously serendipitous moment and that sucks. Like a tiny match I realize that I can fuel an enormous fire. I can ignite change. I can do whatever it is I want. I can go wherever I want. I can see whatever I want to see. I can achieve my goals. At this very moment in my life, I have the world ahead of me…and I’m about to set it ablaze.

Life’s coming at me fast, but man, am I ready for it. Everything is in front of me and for the first time there is no timeline. Bring it.