By Samantha Evans

One year later, it is confirmed: I am a not so recent graduate. 7 am wake up calls, increasingly larger circles of friends with whom I share a diminishing amount of intimacy and an unfamiliar yet comforting regular pay cheque all stand as clues that I am not a girl, not yet a woman, yet it was my most recent return to the town of my 4 year (honours) moratorium that secured this daunting realization. Well, that and a tactfully worded email from a fellow SDTC compatriot and good friend: “we should probably get a more recent grad to start contributing…”

Like they say, all good things must come to an end. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t really be all that good, would they? Take this bangs pinned, bare legs sticking to the old leather TTC seats, warm and drippy beer-filled August we’re having. Sure my hair is rebelling like an angst-ridden teen, but I heart every steamy minute of it. And why do I love it? Because I never know when I’ll wake up and it’ll be gone for another frigid 12 months. To those of you still in school, there really will be no other time in your life that you can go a week sans shower and not be judged profusely for it. Embrace the all-nighters and the Sundays on the couch with KD and SATC! Revel in your Fridays off, and breathe in every last drop of crisp academic air, ‘cause once the suit goes on and you’re a 9 am regular at Starbucks, you can never quite recreate those memories, no matter how many retro-themed parties you throw.

I walked along the tree and litter lined streets that house my alma mater this past weekend, musing about the various memories that came to mind… addresses that conjured up thoughts of people and moments that I will never forget. While I am still that accommodating and motivated student at heart, there is no denying the changes that have occurred in the last year. And yes, the learning continues beyond the realms of campus. Step one in becoming a full fledged adult: Maturity (n.): As much as you want to relive something, some things are meant to be lived once, and only once, and as such, you may have to concede that some things you may reconcile within yourself, but never repeat.

But rest assured new grads! Death at age 23 is not imminent! With every stage of life comes new adventure, opportunity, and of course, photos, to chronicle every fantastic and tragic moment of it. As for you, the reader(s) of this column that started as a navigational tool for new grads and evolved into a space in which to air my dirty and (I hope) hilarious laundry for everyone to smell, I hope at least one sentence resonated with you. That was my initial and final aim. I recently lent my voice to an up and coming Kingston-based magazine, Konekt , which is shaping up to be a very interesting read… I’d love to hear your thoughts. It’s been a great experience and I look forward to sharing many more with this community of amazing women. Stay classy, Toronto.