47 days

There are only 47 days left until I graduate. April 27th at 8 am I will be walking and receiving my graduate degree!! The moment is already so close that it's hard to focus on my school work. As long as I pass all my classes, I'm not too concerned what happens with this final semester.

I decided to pay the $35 cap and gown rental fee -- hey, you only get once chance to graduate from college for the first time (and hopefully the last). This is it for me: no more college!


I've been counting down the weeks and days ever since last October. I actually have an automatically updating spreadsheet that counts it down for me; I guess I've had too many "free" moments at work lately. I gave my 12 weeks notice at work back in January. My coworkers think I've become "trunky". "Hey, if you're going to find a replacement that will do as good a job as I did, you're going to need 12 weeks!" At least my boss thought it was funny.

The Monday after graduation Stephanie and the girls are flying to Texas. They'll be staying with her parents in Keller while I get the rest of the house packed up. I'm driving our car out to DC on my own and will meet the moving van when it gets there. Hopefully I'll be unpacking into our new apartment, but it might be a storage shed. We've been waiting on a three bedroom unit to open up at a really great complex, but everything in DC stays rented or fills up quick. Until we can get something that will work, Steph will stay with her family in TX and I'll stay with some friends in DC.


I can't wait to get to DC! I am so excited to get on with life and start full-time work. It'll be nice also to leave behind the 825 square foot apartment for something a little bigger. It'll also be nice to feel somewhat "settled" in a place knowing that we'll be there long term. We plan on getting out once a month at least to go see things in DC. With so much to see and do that's free, we've easily got a couple years worth of family activities lined up.


When I get to DC, I'll only have a few days to get set up before I start work. KPMG has an office downtown on 20th and M streets in NW. After a day or two in the office, I'll be on my first client. While I'm excited to find out who that will be, I am also excited about some of my long-term prospects. With KPMG auditing so many of the government agencies, I have a good chance to get on some interesting engagements. I just filled out some security clearance paperwork that I hope goes through. Once that clears, I can be involved in some really 'interesting' auditing. I have a friend who audited the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). He tells some interesting stories about verifying 'inventory' kept until the trials were completed.


As crazy as it sounds, I can't wait to ride the Metro again. I like public transportation. I like not having to drive in commute traffic. I liked being able to read a paper, read a book, or watch a movie on my laptop going too and from work. Maybe I also like the idea of working in a big city. I guess there's an allure to being surrounded by lots of people working in high-powered jobs helping to shape the direction of the country. I'm not saying I want to be in politics or anything, I just like the atmosphere.


The distance from here to there still seems too large to bridge. I have from now until April 27th to finish all my course work. Now until then to find an apartment. Now until then to squeeze the last drops of entertainment and enjoyment out of living in Provo. Now until then to prepare for living in the real world. It all begins/ends/continues in just 47 days.