My little brother graduated from college this weekend.

I stayed at Sean's apartment on Friday night and got to Wheeler Mall early on Saturday morning to save some seats for me and my parents. As people milled about, hugging and buzzing excitedly, with orchestra music playing over the sound system, I couldn't help but get a little emotional. Longwood is really the place where I started to become the person I am today, and it was such a joy to share that one year on campus together with my brother before I graduated just three years ago. 

It was a special place for me, and a special place for Sean, and a special place for me and Sean.

On Sunday, I went to upload photos from my dad's camera, where we took all the family shots, and realized that we had left the memory card in Roanoke. So we did what any normal family would do, and made Sean put his cap and gown back on.

Rocky got in on it, too.

Congratulations, Class of 2013.

And happy belated Mother's Day to all you moms out there.

I know ours enjoyed having both of her babies in one place (and double flowers).

Three years ago at this time, my roommate, Caroline, and I sat at a bar drinking dirty Shirleys after our last exams of college. She would go on to nursing school after graduation, and I would apply to and quickly begin a graduate program, but at that moment, sitting on those bar stools with cheap cocktails before us, the life that we had gotten so used to, and so good at, was ending.

There was a week and a day between the last exam and graduation--a time called Senior Week--where everyone who was graduating stuck around and did some considerable drinking. Every moment of Senior Week was planned by the university for the more obnoxious students, the ones with more class spirit than they knew what to do with, but I was never exactly one of those students. Caroline and I made our way through a couple of sponsored barbecues and the cocktail party with the President, but the majority of our Senior Week was spent together, in our apartment, out to lunch, getting manicures, or running through those legendary fountains in the middle of the night.

There were no papers to be written, no exams or presentations for which we had to prepare; nothing to do but pack up boxes of our belongings and reminisce about the past four years. It was sweet and sometimes boring, and we'd laugh about having nothing to do. I would wake up without an alarm clock and wander into Caroline's room, get in her bed, and we'd watch a movie, first thing in the morning. And then it was 11:30 AM, so we'd go out to lunch, the only ones under 60 in the whole restaurant.

I look back on that week as bizarre and a little scary, but so fun. I felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, about to jump off and fly away as soon as I boxed up the last of my books.

My brother is graduating on Saturday. This is his Senior Week. And as I looked back to remember what it felt like then, I could feel it, not from reminiscing, but because even three years later it's still there. That feeling of potential, and blindness, and a little bit of fear, and a lot of excitement, all wrapped into one.

Have a wonderful week, Sean.

See you Friday.

My parents and I decided to visit Sean at school on Saturday, so we packed a little picnic lunch, loaded Rocky into the car, and drove to Farmville to walk part of the High Bridge Trail together. Walking across the bridge is really awesome--it feels like you're on a boardwalk at the beach, but you're high above the treetops the entire time.

   

 Rocky got a little more than he bargained for and had to be carried at the very end, but he's still a sucker for a good walk.

  

After our walk and picnic, we stopped by The Bakery for some tea before heading back home. 

My roommates and I used to walk there from my college apartment all the time, so it's always nice to visit.

I've been to Farmville twice in two weekends! What a treat. 

It's hard to believe I'll be there once more next month for Sean's graduation.

When we got home we ordered Chinese food and my mom made us a martini.

A Saturday well-spent.

What did you do this weekend?