I finally did it. I’m a college graduate.
It hasn’t set in quite yet, and I’m not sure when it will. I can’t believe this is my last night in my apartment, my last night in Kent, my last night in my bed. Yes, college grads get a new bed. It will be nice to go home for a bit, butI do hope it’s just a bit. I love my family, but three months in my hometown will drive me crazy. I’m hitting the job apps even harder starting tomorrow. Fourteen down and dozens more to go.
When I first came to Kent State I swore my heart would always belong to central Ohio. I just wasn’t a northeast kind of girl. But somewhere along the time, I fell in love with this place, especially it’s food. Food’s always been a big thing in my life. I grew up watching my dad cook for our family. It’s no surprise that my fondest memories of Kent surround food.
I’m going to miss the chicken salad sandwiches at Franklin Square Deli. I never thought about eating hot chicken salad until I went here and they melted provolone on top. I’m craving one right now. I’ll miss the pastries at the Backeri, the cupcakes at Main Street Cupcakes, the burgers and fries at Ray’s with a cold Guinness. I’ll miss eating Guy’s pizza by the slice outside on the stoop after a day of drinking. I’ll miss making every holiday into an all-day drinking affair (St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, Veterans’ Day). I’ll miss the BEST buritos at Taco Tantos. You have to wait forever but it’s so worth it. I’ll miss getting tipsy on margaritas at Salsitas. I’ll miss the leftover croissants Adam brings home after his shifts at Starbucks. They never last until the morning. I eat them standing up as Adam tells me about his day. I’ll miss making dozens of cookies for the lovely men in Sigma Nu. I’ll miss frosting cupcakes with Adam. I won’t miss cleaning cupcake icing off the carpet the day after though. I’ll miss late night runs to Giant Eagle for character cookies. I’ll miss going to Pita Pit after the bars with Whitney and running into people we never want to run into.
I’ll miss cooking for my friends, whether it be pancakes for dinner, enchiladas on a Saturday or beef bourguignon for the Golden Globes. I’ll miss the sound of wine bottles opening, bacon cooking, coffee brewing and my friends laughing. I’ll miss the smell of homemade soup, ground beef, chili, cornbread and chicken and dumplings. But mostly, I’ll miss sitting around my kitchen table–my chipped kitchen table with its wobbly chairs–with my friends talking about boys, laughing, eating, drinking and wondering if we were ever going to graduate.
We did it guys. Cheers. To us.
