The Last Time

The other day my Dad called to ask if I thought I could fit in all my stuff in two cases to take back home....and all I could think was, how am I supposed to pack up four years into two suitcases?
I can't believe this is the end of my college career. Definitely feels like yesterday I was this naive little freshman who thought the walk from Stoddard to Kaven Hall was quite the hike, and was completely unaware of the world "down the hill". To reflect upon these last few years, it's suffice to say life has turned out to be surprisingly eventful and exciting.
Of course, well into senior year, the easiest thing to do is complain about WPI. But I'm going to take a different approach. Even though this is a small, tech-school where people are obsessed with their career paths and gung-ho about their ambitions, it has been an incredible learning environment to grow up in. I had known my love for science, but after being so exposed to research, engineering and the medical fields, I realised I'm still a kid, and yeah, maybe I don't want to be some big scientist who cures some big disease- but that's ok. I'll do what I want.
On the other hand, I know I would've hated going to a liberal arts school. As much as I love the arts and music, the fastly emerging 'alernate lifestyle' culture would've made me either a wannabe hippie or protest by wearing brand names all the time (which would've made me bankrupt of course). I guess I love WPI because it made me not care about that stuff, which just seems superficial and boring.
I also realised the brutal reality that is the lack of an American Dream- you know, the reason why everyone wants to be here. The car, the house, the dogs, the family. Me, I want none of that. I said once freshmen year to my good friend "I don't know if I want the picket fences, or if I want to travel the world without boundaries". To which of course she replied, "Are there picket fences in India?" But humor aside, maybe she had a point. After all, what I was looking for was nothing but a dream.
Right now, I don't know if i'll get into Cambridge (I'm willing to bet I won't, though). I don't know if I'll find a job in the US. I don't know if I'll be on the East Coast, or West Coast, or back home among the 1 billion. But it's that excitement or uncertainty that keeps me going everyday.
So heading into my last term of my college career, I want to say thanks to all the people who came into my life while I was here. My friends, some of who I still talk to, and some of whom I avoid when I walk on campus- thank you for the good times and sorry if things never worked out better. My professors- some good, some not so good- you have added such great value to my life, even if it was to show me how to pipet,I don't think any words can thank you all :) My co-workers- thank you for all the career advice, personal advice and listening to my occasional rants about the evils of globalisation-I appreciated every moment. My boss(es)- thank you so much for teaching me pretty much the ways of life-you have been, more often than not, like an older sibling or parent who I ran to with my 'big girl' problems. And the random kids who smiled as they passed by- thanks for making my day better every now and then.

Thank you, WPI.