Freedom

I'M FREE!

 

Yep, you heard me, I am officially dunzo with the horrible incident that was grad school.  Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for the opportunity I had to continue my education and get my master's degree, but I am also deliriously happy to be finished!

 

Sunday morning/afternoon I woke up, still tired from all the wedding excitement.  But I couldn't just lay in bed all day, I had a mission to complete.  ONE more paper and I would be forever through with homework, reading (for school), research and papers.  I started feverishly writing, just eager for the feeling of relief I knew would come when I turned that sucker in. 

 

I took a little break to go to Freedom Fest with Adam.  What is Freedom Fest, you ask?  We didn't really know either, we just knew the signs up around town said "everything's free" and as two people desperately trying to save money, we decided it couldn't hurt.  They might have free hot dogs or something!

 

"Hey, I'm gonna take you to dinner tonight." Adam told me as I typed as fast as I could on my paper.

 

"REALLY?!" I said excitedly.

 

"Yeah, we're going to Freedom Fest."

 

Oh.  Freedom Fest.  Dangit.

 

I secretly crossed my fingers they had some decent food there. 

 

We parked about a mile away and walked to the Events Center - aka a big field with a stage in the middle of all the baseball fields.  Lots of Searcy people there, which if you know Searcy, you know the people-watching was worth the trip to FF - free food or not.  But they had free food! Not only were there hot dogs, but there were bbq sandwiches, soda, chips, snow cones, watermelon, cotton candy.  ALL FREE.  Sweet.  I ate way too much, we listened to the Christian cover band for 5 minutes, decided our ears had been tortured enough.

 

Back at home...

 

I'm working on my paper when I hear a loud catastrophic BOOM outside.  W.T.F.  I ignored it and kept writing my paper.

 

15 minutes later Adam left to go jog at the track.  I heard more and more booms.  Are we being bombed? 

 

I walked out on the porch to check out the scene and determine whether Miller and I needed to hide in the bathtub with my mattress covering us. 

 

All the across-the-courtyard neighbors were on their balconies looking up at the sky.

 

I couldn't see anything at all when I looked that way, so I decided to walk outside so I could see.  I went downstairs and lo and behold... almost too good to be true... FIREWORKS.

 

I seriously love fireworks.  Freedom Fest was still going on, and since it was held less than a mile from my apt., the fireworks were so close it felt like they were right overhead.  As I sat outside by myself, I felt like the huge (expensive) fireworks display was just for me, saying "CONGRATULATIONS.. You're done with school, JEN!"  It was like the whole town was celebratng my impending freedom. 

 

I finished my paper, turned it in, and every night this week I've had a nagging feeling when I get home from work.  What homework do I have to do?  Isn't sad that this is an automatic thought and I can't stop feeling like I've got something to do?

 

But I don't!  WHOOT.  I'm done.  For-ev-errrrrr!