This thing has turned into a runaway train

I met with my advisor yesterday morning to set up my schedule for next semester, and we decided that I will certifiably be graduating next May. I always pretty much knew that's when I would be graduating, but to now have confirmation of it, to know exactly what I will be taking the next 2 semesters, because I only have exactly 10 classes left, is really exciting. It seems much more real now than it previously has. And I can't believe how quickly it's gone by!

But it's also completely terrifying. Because it seems much more real now than it previously has. That means, seriously, my days in Austin are numbered. When I think about it abstractly, it was always exciting and fun to think about moving on to a new city and school somewhere else next Fall, but now...it just scares the shit out of me. What a difference a day can make.

It's still exciting, but last night I laid awake thinking about all there is to do: take the GRE (probably at least twice, which needs to happen this summer), and then start collecting all of my materials for grad school applications, which all needs to happen by this fall! I've narrowed my list down to 6 schools, and even that seems daunting when I think about all that needs to go to each one.

I also got offered a job last week at a summer camp: Camp Pinnacle. I haven't actually accepted yet, because I'm still waiting to hear back from the summer research position I applied for at the University of Maryland, which I want more than almost anything right now. I'm not holding my breath about it, but if it doesn't come through, I'm heading to Pinnacle. It's in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, right outside Asheville, which would also be awesome, because I could go hang out with Matt on all my days off. I also talked to my Counseling and Guidance professor yesterday about taking her internship class over the summer, and using my job at the camp as my internship, which she was totally down with. Which would save me so much trouble, since you have to put in 150 hours of internship for the class. I thought I was gonna have to do that in the fall, along with working, along with going to school full-time, and I had no idea how I was gonna manage it.

Also, it turns out, my professor is from that area of North Carolina, and has a cabin there, and her kids all still live there. And, her whole family has been involved with Camp Pinnacle since it's inception! Her grandfather, father, and 2 or 3 uncles all were counselors there, and she grew up going to the camp in the summers, and has several grandkids and nephews and nieces that still go there every summer. So she and I totally geeked out about that for awhile, and she got very excited that I would probably be working there. So that was fun.

I was on Cloud 9 all day yesterday. Until, of course, I went to bed, and then I laid there tossing and turning thinking about everything I need to get done in the next 6 or 7 months. That may seem like a long time, but I realize now it flies, and it feels like a lot. Driving to class this morning, I started thinking about how I already miss Austin. I'm gonna cry like a baby driving away from here. I'm getting choked up now thinking about it.