A year ago today, I wore a pretty black dress with pink roses. Then, with what felt like a million people watching, I walked up a large stage, picked up a little scroll, and walked back down.

Yesterday, a friend asked me what convocation felt like. Here’s my honest recollection of it – I have no memories of distinct emotions I felt on the days leading up to my convocation (that is, apart from a little anger at the ridiculous rental charge for the gown I would be wearing). The day of began with a ring ceremony, wherein I received a stunningly beautiful (ethically sourced .. woot woot!) silver ring to commemorate my journey as an INDEVour (getit? no? cool.). Then we made our way to the Physical Activities Complex (PAC), a building known for being many things – a place that’s super crowded at the beginning of every semester, a place that is seemingly always under construction, and a place that instantly brings back memories of anxiety and exam stress. This week, it would be a place that saw many people – including myself – say goodbye.

I said my goodbyes happily, with friends and family by my side. I told myself it really wasn’t goodbye to because I knew I’d back in four months to start the next phase of my academic career.

But it was a goodbye of sorts – just not to my school. It was a goodbye to myself (or parts thereof). You’ll read about those in the pages to come. I said those goodbyes to myself subconsciously, and yet just as happily.

Because tomorrow, I would be saying hello to the adventure of a lifetime.