Sure, I have my diploma framed and propped up in my room so that I see it every day. But it still hasn't hit me that I'm not an Oberlin College student anymore. Maybe it's best that it doesn't hit me.
After all, I'm working for the Oberlin Office of Communications as a Fellow, which is essentially an exceptionally well paid internship where the institution trades health insurance and hardcore job skills for my youthful excitement and willingness to work my ass off for a year. I still get to hang out with many of my friends (during the summers most people are scattered to the winds anyway) and chat with professors about our shared academic interests. It is necessary, however, that when looking at classes in the course catalog I limit myself to drooling, like a diabetic child through the double-paned glass window of a chocolate shop might. I can't shake the habit of referring to myself as a Senior Admissions Intern, and for now at least, I know more than the new flock of them does.
While the rhythm of my days (9-5!) is now very different, the essence is the same. I read. I read all day. I research and learn and check in with people who know more than me to make sure I'm on track. In the evenings and on weekends, I learn more. Ma'ayan and I often wind up cooking something or going on small adventures around the countryside. Ma'ayan is an incredibly deft and nonchalant cook, and is helping me to not fear trying new foods or recipes. We share a strong love of fresh produce, eating, rural roads, well-built buildings, organized spaces, and elegant design. We're getting those things in droves right now, but we keep diving deeper, because there's always more to learn.
