ADVENTURE

Considering all of the changes that I have happened to me over the last two years, it seems fair to say that graduation has had little change on my life, but the importance of this milestone has struck me in a way I did not think it would.  Here I am now, at the doorstep of the future, wondering what this wild and crazy ride has for me.  What adventures lie in my immediate path?  I hesitate for only a moment to think, because the excitement to shove-off and set sail is so strong that I will trip if I do not watch myself.

Graduation was amazing, as was my last finals week.  The anticipation at Convocation was incredible and so palpable that I thought I might rip apart my robe and yell "see ya!"  I spent my day before Commencement packing, swimming, hanging out with family, attending the Department of Theatre, Film and Television reception, and finally walking into the stadium at sunset, sweetly nestled under the San Gabriel mountains... how could anything be as beautiful as this in southern California?

Commencement was a blur in retrospect.  It was over almost as quickly as it begun.  I sat with Kellen, Jon, Anders, Cody, Chadwick, Dominic, Sean, and our girls were all in the row behind us.  It was exactly all the people I wanted close to me during this pivotal moment--and while a few people were not there to share it with me, I cannot wait for it to be their turn.  We sang, we laughed, and our smiles danced in the magical hour of light that comes as the sun sets over the western sky.  I keep picturing every moment of it, captured in little polaroid pictures that linger in my mind as I tightly cling to them for fear of losing them.  These precious moments make us human, make us alive, and remind me that as all great things come to an end, the possibilities of the next adventure are endlessly elegant.

After graduation I went to my graduation party to meet up with my family and friends.  The party was great.  All of us graduates had a special box of notes prepared for us by our parents (and brooke), a special collage of pictures from our time at APU, and a signing "wall" for each of us.  There was food, family, friends, and fun... how great is that!  The best part was the toast at the end where my graduating friends and I gathered in the center of the area.  The love and the excitement was anything but normal.  We gathered there in the center of that place, and that was where I really graduated.  In that moment I graduated from one person into another, and the man I am now is so completely different.  Before I understood the power of friendship and community, but in this moment I experienced and discovered the commitment of community.

It is funny to see how different my priorities are.  Through all the girlfriends, jobs, friends, projects, studies and everything else my priorities have been on doing what was best for me and had my best interests in mind, but for some reason now I care most about serving my friends diligently, and while I have no idea what that looks like now, rest assured I'll discover it soon.

Since graduation I have been moving into my new apartment in Glendale, CA... just a few miles away from the Hollywood sign.  I see big things in my future, and I plan to take this town by storm.  You shouldn't expect anything less, I'm here to change the world.

Praise God for the adventures to come.