this is not the end but the beginning

last day of classes yesterday, 4 years flew by just like that, even though the end result is three letters after my name and a doctor's title, there was so much more to the process, tears, down times, laughter.

Last class was in the lab with Dr. Peregrine talking about parasites, everyone knew we were minutes away from finishing. The excitement caused us all to be a little giddy and lippy. We were all being saucy and carefree, figuring that they can't kick us now for being a little rude and opinionated. It felt like the calm before the storm, we were for the last time in our safe harbor before we had to go out and face the world as ppl with responsibilities now, to our patients. With all the mouthing off about school drama and politics (the 4th year play, costs for international medicine), the reality of vet medicine (heartworm prevention) and everyone's goofiness and opinions, it's hard not to laugh and leave with a big smile. (When Dr. P posted a picture of heartworm and another blood parasite and asked which one's bigger, I told him it was obvious by the picture the bottom one was bigger, "Shan-lin, by this point in your career, don't you think I woulda asked you a harder question than that?" he meant which parasite was bigger, of course, I take everything at face value and my classmates sided with me.)

after exams and celebrations it's time to hit the real world! haven't decided if i want to go back to school, but throughout fourth year, i've began to decide which area of vet med i like and could go into, and which ones i would be miserable in. hard to imagine 6 years ago, i decided on this path and was complaining of the amount of schooling i would need and now i'm through. though this is of course not the end, but the beginning