It is probably one of my favorite nights of the year, definitely my favorite Hillcrest community event. The toaster, always shares wonderful personal stories about the graduating senior and strangely you really start seeing that person in a different light, sadly right before they leave. Each semester when I listened to the stories of each graduating senior, and progressively got sadder at the prospect of having another closer friend move on, I would end each night in happy tears, thinking about what wonderful experiences those seniors had and how exciting it was that they were moving on to their new lives. I thought about what I would want to wear and what I might want to be remembered for, but none of those thoughts prepared me for the seemingly sudden approach of this day. In 7 hours I will experience my own toast and the inevitable conclusion to my time in Blacksburg will be more real.
I will miss surely miss this place.
And just as I finished this post, this song came on.
Edit: The Next Day, Thursday, December 12th
I should be studying for my upcoming final tomorrow, but I couldn't help but want to take a moment to write about my senior toast.
The two people that toasted me: Trevor and Justeen
The people I went out with to the Cellar after toasts (for many more toasts)
It took me no time at all to pick out what I was going to wear at my senior toast. Three years ago, a senior that had a whole lot of personality was finishing her time in Hillcrest and as her toast dress, she wore a very fluffy dress that made her look like a cupcake (which matched perfectly to the of tattoo of a cupcake on her right shoulder) and that night I had decided my dress would have a lot of pop as well. My New Years dress was the perfect option, really. I wanted to at least take that moment to leave one last impression of being more than a shut in pre-med, but to show people that I can be playful and sparkly and happy.
I've thought a lot about the type of things I would want people to say about me at the toast. What kind of stories would I want to leave Hillcrest with? When I chose to stay here for a 5th year, I realized that most of my friends would already have graduated and moved on and there would be no one there to talk about those special stories. Instead, it would be an acquaintance that would mention the cool things that I have done, not the person I am. I accepted that and was prepared for such a speech. Guess I wasn't the only one with plans for staying longer. My close friend Trevor also stayed another year, so I at least had one person that knew me. What I didn't anticipate was to receive a toast from two, him and my roommate.
The toasts they gave me were absolutely more special than I could have ever imagined. They were not laundry lists that resembled my CV, but honest descriptions of my character and the impact I made on their lives. I was just taken back by their words. Perhaps one of the funniest descriptions was when Trevor said that I approached my academics the same way a pack of wolves might approach taking down a moose. I couldn't believe no one had ever been able to so accurately describe that interaction with me and my school work before. Even past the humor, what really stood out was the depth of their understanding of me and the type of impact I had left on them just by being myself. It really meant the world to me, because throughout my time at Virginia Tech, I thought that I really will have to sacrifice a lot of who I am and my personal relationships for the sake of being successful at everything I have to do, and would just be the first among many increasingly intense steps on my path to a career as a physician.
I thought that the level of dedication that I not only showed my academics and extracurricular activities, let alone what I believed was necessary for my success, were going to limit my ability to have the type of experiences college students have that really help them foster friendships of such a magnitude. I guess I thought that I would leave here with great grades, really nurturing academic experiences, and perhaps the respect of some of my peers but not many close friends. And honestly, I accepted that. I was ok with that being how my time in college would go. Yet, hearing what they had to say, I suddenly realized that without even trying or sacrificing, by just being me and being the best friend I could be day by day, I had somehow created deep personal relationships with many different people I am proud to call my friends and not only hope, but know, will be a welcoming part of my life for years into the future. The types of connections that even if I don't speak with them for years, we could still pick it all back up. Isn't that really the ideal? To create such friendships while pursuing your passions?
What that moment signified to me was more than just how I really made my time at Virginia Tech incredible, but it gave me so much faith for my career. I've always seen medicine as a road of sacrifice. And even though it still is, perhaps I will be able to handle it better than I give myself credit for and still have a fulfilling personal life. That realization was priceless. No award I have received in all my time here has made me feel so accomplished, happy, and thankful as those words. I saw that both of them had typed their speeches and I was so thrilled to have them give me the hard copies to keep. I already can envision the hard days of medical school, struggling to study for an upcoming exam or balance my life, and looking up to see their encouraging words put up on the wall above my study space.
This semester truly has been the best one of my life. 2013 has not been a disappointment at all (and there are still a few important moments left!)
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