My thesis is done, my laurels are about my head, and my Orals Board ate all my sushi. Life is good! For those unaware of the Reed Senior Thesis process, it begins with the looming awareness of its ability to consume the lives of your senior friends. And when it comes upon you, it becomes your constant companion, whether you are working on it or avoiding it. I worked all Spring Break on my thesis, writing almost a chapter a day, only to have my thesis advisor remark that I apparently “don’t write first drafts.” Gavin gave me much more detailed feedback, and with a shiny new conclusion and some pretty, pretty pictures, I rambled along these past few weeks happily writing papers on Excalibur and Buddhist non-dualism and feeling guilty that I had it easy while most of my friends set into last-minute freaking-out. But you know what? We all made it! I turned in copies to all my readers — Steve Hibbard, my advisor and Peirce fanatic, Michael, a phonetician whom I hardly know, Rob, chill anthropologist extraordinaire of my Algonquin and Nature/Culture/Environmentalism classes, and Ken, nationally-recognized as being awesome and a fan of memes and Buddhist hell — and got my laurels to the tune of the Registrar’s office’s gong.

But the real party was last Friday, the beginning of Renn Fayre and the debauchery that is Thesis Parade. I got Cassie to paint wings on my back and mendhi on my hands, with blue and black sharpies that made my skin tingle. The weather held off, and I jumped into the fray of champagne-spraying, hugging, kissing, and foot-stomping with a tremendous contact high. All week people whom I didn’t even know were congratulating me on my fancy, fancy hat, and now, as we danced around our flaming thesis pages and drunkenly hugged Colin Diver, rose petals stuck to our skin and sweet bubbly on our lips, we jumped and danced and ululated and celebrated until we collapsed on the front lawn. Then off again! To shower, to dinner with friends, to a weekend of muddy grass and crazy dancing and mind-shattering fireworks and calm conversational puppy-piles. Where did the days go? Reading week is for Renn Fayre recovery.

But now the future gapes its maw before me, and it gets pretty scary when I think that this was the last thing I had always planned on doing. College, and then sometime in the future, build a house. Anxiety in between! But no, because now I have a room with Thomas’ uncle up on Division, a job as Gavin’s “artisan of space,” with access to his awesome kitchen and his beautiful house — indeed, with a mission to make it more beautiful — and as of this morning, an unpaid job as an architect’s assistant. Sebastian does green, sustainable, and community-oriented projects, one of which is taking Gavin’s house off the grid. As we chatted over tea and bagels, he was especially happy to learn that I’m a web designer, as one of his goals is to put his portfolio online. So I’ll be helping him do research and coordinate and do office work, while learning the tricks of sustainable design and the trade of a passionate architect. I was so excited that I ran all the way back with a smile on my face! Hurrah, huzzah, hurray!

Part of my buzz may be from last night, too, when we saw the 11:15 showing of the Star Trek movie. Can you believe, it was amazing? It was funny and action-packed and fast-paced and classic and fresh-faced. I even got my scantily-clad green girl! And Captain Pike’s in it! The whole theater was jumping up and down in their seats every time a classic line was used, every time a character did something characteristic, every reference that was made, everything that made you want to squeal with geeky joy and hug the characters. Heck, even the non-trekkies in the group loved it!

Sweetness is a life filled with good movies and cool plans and warm sunlight. Go run around in it!