Day one: got a car!
A gold Focus named Edgar--
it's clever, I swear.

Day two: nephew time!
NPR application
is looking better.

Day three: employment!
Chipotle again, but with
almost two more bucks.

I'd hoped to hit the
ground running, and I seem to
be doing just that.

Crazy, right?

That said, I figured a recap of the semester/my college education would be much better written not as a haiku. Let's admit it, I'm not a crazy good poet by any means. Once I make it to one hundred poems, I think I'm going to try my hand at something a la Suzan Lori-Parks' 365 Days/365 Plays by writing an incredibly short play a day for one hundred days.

We'll see if that pans out. We all know that my resolve is...well, a touch irresolute at times.

On to the recap!

There is absolutely no question in my mind. My last semester of college trumped every other semester COMBINED. There were some notable drawbacks--Rock n' Chop's absence, being freshly dumped, and Dragon Lady's class--but for the most part, I can't think of any other semester that has been so flawlessly excellent. Let's enumerate a list of some of those high points in no particular order, shall we?

1. Frisbee and Foursquare
+Neon/blacklight foursquare/dance party
+Writing ridiculous emails and making ludicrous announcements at ward prayer
+"Eyyyyy, Foursquare!"

Two. Auto/biography Unchained with Dr. Phil Snyder
+A perfect score on my capstone autobiography
+The desire to continue writing while seeking publication

iii. Hamlet!
+Balloonshop videos
+"Who the FREAK ate my lambas bread!?"
+"The best part of lasagna is you two bein' DEAD!"

D. Brawgs and Chrrrls
+Chrrrl = Chick + Girl
+"CHRRRRRRRRRRRL SQUAAAAAAAAAAAAARE!"
+The sheer lunacy of the competing factions

Cinco. Bananagrams/Scrabble
+Becoming the 2011 Speed Scrabble Champion for the English Department!
+Hours upon HOURS spent playing word games rather than toiling over homework

1 + 5. My Spelling Bee Birthday Party!
+Coming in third in my very first spelling bee
+Training for the larger BYU-wide spelling bee in which I placed fifth
-"Odontalgia"--curse you!

Se7en. 2011 English Symposium
+Presenting my Brit Lit to 1500 term paper
+Putting together a rockin' Powerpoint
+Actually getting some laughs while reading a relatively dry paper

Ate. Relief Society!
+Being a part of the best Relief Society in all of BYU
+Hangin' and looking up to all the members of the presidency
+MAKING PANTS AT THE FERRINS'
+TEMPLE AND CREPE NIGHT!

Zehn. The Leavitts!
+Spending time with a real family in an actual gorgeous house
+Costco. Seriously, Costco.
+Being integrated into one of the most bomb families EVER
+Planning my life as the wife of a man with a sailboat and a wine collection

Rhymes with "Heaven". Skiing!
+Two awesome ward trips to Sundance
+One amazing birthday trip to Wolf Creek with Snootch
+Actually feeling like I can ski

Deacons and Beehives. Sadie Hawkin's Dance
+Matching tie-dye skirt and blazer with Alex!
+Dancing like a maaaaaaniac
+A shout-out to the 177th ward over the mic that resulted in a room EXPLOSION
+Late night foursquare after

I know I'm forgetting about a million great things that happened this semester, but you get the idea. I had a great four months.

Looking back on my college education as a whole, I can't honestly say that the whole thing was fun or that I enjoyed every semester equally. This semester hit the right balance of studies and sociality that I'd been struggling to find every semester previously. However, all told, I'm so astoundingly grateful for the opportunity I had to attend BYU. I wouldn't have traded the last four years for ANYTHING. I'm so much closer to being the person I want to be in every aspect. I've felt myself grow intellectually, emotionally, and, most importantly, spiritually. I know now, more than ever, how much Heavenly Father looks out for His children. It is by His grace and love alone that I had such a tremendously beneficial experience. I am a better daughter, sister, friend, Latter-day Saint, and human being because of the ways my Heavenly Father has nurtured me during my college experience. I am forever indebted to Him for his kindness.

On that note, it's three in the morning and I need to hit the hay. My real life in Maryland begins today and I'm thrilled!

Wish me luck, kiddos. When you check back here, expect a haiku detailing the search for a car :]

I am not a crêpe--
nor am I a crêpe person.
Egg taste coats my tongue.

This morning, I ate
crêpes I legitimately
enjoyed. It was strange.

How often do we
actually enjoy things
that we know we won't?

Post-graduation
happiness might explain it--
or the crêpe-eaters.

Either way, Friday
begins with surprise smiles.
They will stay all day.

Today is the day
I commence. Tomorrow, I
will convocate. Wow.

I am not sure when
this happened, but it seems real.
A diploma? Yeah.

In truth, I'm ready.
School has been good, but I'm done...
for the time being.

I have one final
left in my college career:
a portfolio.

I will be back in
Maryland in one week's time.
Time to say goodbye!

I will miss you-taw,
but I will become reuseful
back out in the East.

Black light neon four
square was on the docket last
night. Phat dance beats too.

Perhaps what I will
miss most about college is
easy access cool.

The city is built
for my eccentric fun needs.
Not everywhere is.

My haiku tonight
is about a list I made
while thinking of sleep...

1. Bears are notoriously oversensitive.

The bear, disconsolate, will think back through all your interactions leading up to the brick before blowing up your inbox with sadness.

I need some new shoes.
The cute ones I've been wearing
are run down and gross.

Unfortunately,
I have to buy my own shoes
from this point onward.

Getting a job for
shoe money sounds unpleasant,
but that's how it is.

...morning was the best.
OP's bridal shower was
total perfection.

Grandma and I planned
games, got food, and helped to host.
We did a great job.

...afternoon was the best.
I divyed up assignments
for our pizza night,

ate Cafe Rio,
did my grocery shopping,
and rocked tie dye skirt.

...night was the BEST.
Sadie Hawkin's dance with my
date's matching blazer.

Pizza before the
dance, Bananagrams, and then--
the best dance ever.

My ward is so great.
I announced late night four square--
the room exploded.

Such a ballin' day.
Everything was simply great.
Please envy my life.

John Foster Russell
is creepin' on me in the
library. Whoa, man.

I think he should keep
his eyes on his computer,
not mine. What a creep.

I don't know why my
hair has been so dark lately.
I miss the lightness.

Solution: lots of
outdoor sun time this summer.
The red will appear!

Conversely, I do
know why my skin has been so
white lately: no tan.

Just another thing
lots of tennis, swimming, and
camp will have to fix!

Why do "Monday" and
"melancholy" start with the
same letter? What gives?

It's been a day, folks.
Mondays might not be so bad
if they weren't first up.

Elaboration
won't happen here. Here's hoping
Tuesday wins the day.

Rarely do I feel
so very touched by a film.
Outstanding, indeed.