Something I've never done before: graduate from college

I am now a college graduate. I am also 22 (I had my birthday this past month) and those two things combined are weird. I feel so old. Being out in the real world hasn't been all that exciting yet. I moved out of my house in CS and moved back to my parents house for the next month until I move to China. While it is nice to no longer pull all nighters, write 12 page papers, or work on group projects, it is sad to not be in a place I love and see all of the people that have been my closest friends. I don't necessarily mind the fact that I have graduated and moving to China, I just wish it could all be the same when I come back, but I know that it will not be. However, I am comforted in the fact that I know this is not really goodbye, and that I will see them all again, if not in this life, then in Heaven.

My graduation weekend was a lot of fun. My whole family came, (I guess technically that's not true considering that my family is huge, but my parents, sister, and both sets of grandparents were there) and we celebrated with a huge barbecue (with more food than we could eat) with my roommates and all of our family and some friends. Here are a few pictures capturing the events:

the day before (commencement) our speaker was General Petraeus

waiting

at dinner afterwards at Jose's Mexican Restaurant

my sister and I

the big day

the stage with a lot of important people

reed arena

so many seats. it was a long graduation ceremony

me with my family

grandparents

with one of my roommates Jessica

other grandparents

the whole group

opening gifts at the house

hanging out waiting for the food

my dad, one of the chefs

my roommates and I...

take 2...