School's out for summer (a loooong summer)

21 years of higher education (10 degrees)

Cambridge, England

It's final. I've turned in my dissertation and my education experience is finished (for now).

I thought that I'd feel a tremendous relief, excitement, and joy. But it hasn't really been that emotional for me. I think part of that is because for the past two years, I've basically treated graduate school like a job -- doing research on public policy (first for LSU then for the BR Chamber). I guess (and hope) that my job will stay similar -- looking at complex issues and trying to solve them. Of course, the hours will change. Oh how they will change! (no more 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. days for me!) I also think that it just hasn't hit me yet that I'm actually finished with school. Unbelievable. I started college in September 1998 and just finished. What a long and enjoyable experience.

I organized a final party for my class -- kind of like last year's blowout at 2800 (minus the keg, shot luge, and sunshine). I went with Tim Poon over to Tesco yesterday afternoon and bought a stone's worth of meat etc. Then we settled down on the island at Darwin College for a nice afternoon BBQ. There was champagne, fellowship, food, and more champagne (Bill, our course director, even brought a bottle!).

And then the rain came.

I suppose that is typical for British weather...or for my British experience. Right when we're having a good ol' time at our grand finale (and my first BBQ in the country), the sky opens and we have to move everything inside. Funny, we bought one of these disposable grills for the BBQ. I had never heard of these things, but they have an entire row of them at Tesco. Now I know why: no one will buy a legitimate grill because they can only use it for a week! In any event, (I'll stop the hating on British weather) -- we did have a great time. It was one last hoorah before we all go off to separate corners of the world. Kind of neat to have good friends in the US, UK, Fiji, Pakistan, Jordan, France, China...you get the point.

I'm off to Porto in about 3 hrs and I still haven't packed. Doing some last minute laundry then going to shove it all in a bag. I'm going to pack light this year...I think just a pair of flip flops, some jeans, and a few shirts. It's my last backpacking trip for a long while (although I'm already planning a trip to South Africa to visit Dr. Newcomer).

Oh, I went into London on Wednesday for a daytrip. It was a solo journey, as I received curses from my classmates anytime I invited them along (dissertation was done for me!). I checked out a few museums that I've missed -- National Gallery, National Portrait, and National Army. I was quite curious to see the National Army Museum because it has the Brit perspective of the American Revolutionary War. Funny...when I would ask my British friends if any museums in London had anything on the war, they would be like "What war? I don't know what you're talking about." So it wasn't much of a surprise to find the section on the American Revolution in the museum to be nothing more than a corner of a small room. There were a few red coats and a battle plan of Bunker Hill, and a cool model of a Queen's Ranger troop. That night I went over to the West End to see a show that I've been wanting to see for a long while: Les Miserables. I've read the book and know the music (from mom and sisters), so it was wonderful to finally see it performed on stage. Quite a powerful performance and one that I highly recommend.

Okay, I'm outta here. I'll be putting posts on the blog when I can...it's back to a travel blog I guess. Fun times.

Until next time...