Reminiscence...

There are times when I really miss university. I miss the routine of a set of courses each week, most of which could be skipped if the material was online. I miss having friends around 24/7, with whom I would procrastinate (on Facebook). I miss the focused direction of energy during exam periods where you knew what you had to know, and you studied it. Make note, I don't miss exams in the least.

University was fun, it was exciting, it was new. Something was always going on, things were constantly in motion. I feel as though now that I'm in the "real" world, things slow down quite a bit. My job, for instance, isn't as dynamic as McGill campus. I'm stuck at a desk, in front of a computer for 8 hours of a day. For 5 days straight. I don't have the luxury of going for coffee in the middle of the afternoon with friends. I can't spend hours on Facebook because shit needs to get done (not that I would, or did). And I can't skip out on work since my mom is the boss.

But then I remember this time of the year. When McGill managed to muck up the exam schedule such that we'd be writing exams one after another. I remember that instead of being paid, I was paying. I remember how little my existence meant to the university. Life sure has changed in 6 months.

Being a working member of society certainly has its advantages. I get paid every 2 weeks. I can leave my work at work (most of the time). I'm not pulling all-nighters for an exam that matters very little in the grand scheme of things. And I have a say in the direction of my company. No longer am I just a 9-digit number who forks out several thousand dollars per year. Those days are long past.

To think, just 8 months ago, I was suffocating in grasp of McGill's administration. Worrying over my grades and the graduation that got postponed. So much has changed in so little time. Hell, even the city of Montreal is fading in my memory. I'm rediscovering my hometown, reforging relationships with my family. What hasn't changed are the friendships that were forged over the past 5 years. Many did not survive, but many more did. I have a wife now (so-to-speak), and friends I'll be seeing when I get over to the other side of the Pacific. I'm more comfortable in my skin than I've ever been, and I'm moving towards a new destination. A new career.

We all look to the past for inspiration. I think now it's time to look to the future. So here's to walking off into the sunset, and all that lay beyond it....