graduating ;)

who's excited to graduate?

hey kids,

i've climbed out of the rabbit hole, and i'm happy to say that the end is in sight! although sadly, my studio presentation was not excellent ;( my econ final went alright ;> and this final paper seems to be coming along quite nicely :} school finance in california is thrilling

tonight, i was at home working on my paper when i saw my YPN young planner friend on g-chat. he's nervously graduating from high school, and will attend tulane next year. although cornell has been taking classes at tulane this entire year (yeah, he's pretty amazing), he's having a slight identity crisis about moving forward to this next stage of development.

we were chatting about this for a little while. he basically asked me, "who am i now that i'm no longer a 'young planner'?" i thought this question was dazzling. in the YPN, i've been considered an 'adult ally,' and at times known as the national director of the organization.

titles aside, professors at school have often treated me like i know very little. telling me with authority that they will impart knowledge about theories, studies, outdated stories of planning that will radically shift my perspective on life, and teach me about the world. it's been hard to take this attitude seriously, especially when i constantly treat my students like they are the 'experts' in what goes on in their city.

so tonight, i told cornell that he is going to have a blast in college, that i am still bff with my friends from high school, and that i can't wait for him to continue participating in the YPN as cornell carney, nothing more nothing less. he told me that i should become the 'national adult director,' as i rock. i said 'you rock more.'

tonight, i got a text message from an unknown student announcing the YPN meeting for tomorrow far and wide. it said: HEy JST A REMINDER WE HAVE A yPN MEETING TOMMOROW AT DA K WE WILL BE GLAD TO C yOU THERE SO CUM TO OUR 1ST MEETING SINCE NYC HOPE TO C U DERE.

i'm looking forward to see who comes, and to feel like maybe, now i will actually have time to do the things that i want to do, the things i care about, and to move on into the next stage of my life, after my graduation from school.

xo
alis