A Kuhanic World: Graduation

It really doesn't feel like it's been that long, with the memories of that day still vivid in my mind. Just hours before the graduation ceremony, I had slogged till midnight looking to clean-out the apartment for the next day also happened to be our move-out-date. Understandably I was a little panda-eyed at the ceremony on that beautiful morning. Such weather was a bit of a rarity in Chicago, and it only made the whole ceremony all the more memorable. I remember looking out trying to find my uncle throughout the ceremony, although I only got a chance to catch him at the end of the ceremony (with all the rules and restrictions we graduates had during the ceremony).

Truly poignant moments in my life.. and although I did share it with some wonderful people that I have been blessed to come across, it would have been perfect had my parents been there. For that.. for that reason at least I can assertively say I will continue my studies at some point.

The day marked the official end of my time as a student of the university. It's been some time since we parted, and I truly miss walking amongst your walls. Thank you IIT for all that I've gained through you.. the knowledge, the wisdom, the friends, the acquaintances, the experience..

It has been some time now. Almost two months to date. The memories still remain; freshly chiseled onto the inner walls of my cranium. I figure the purchase of my ticket back home aboard Turkish Airlines would make a good starting point.. The beginning of the end of my days in Chi-city.

Once I purchased the ticket, everything began to move fast. My roommates and I decided to use a freight service (IQ Global Logistics) to send most of our stuff in the US back home. Quite a price we paid for it - certainly a bad decision on our part. Either way, after more than 2 months, the shipment finally arrived last week, upon which we had further problems and necessary payments before we could grab our boxes. Then there was the moving-out phase, and how apt it was that our stipulated move-out date was 15th of May, 2010 - the exact same day as our graduation ceremony.

Alex was the first to leave on his final tour of US cities, before Kwong Hann's parents arrived and he practically evacuated as well. With that I was left with my Iranian housemate, Ehsan to clean up all the general areas of the apartment. I slogged for almost a week on clearing the place up before we finally handed the key. What does disappoint me, though is the fact that our landlord, Mr. Soontorn Sucksuphan refused to return our deposit that added up to almost US$2000. I personally found it even more painful given how hard I worked at cleaning the messes of previous tenants who were there way before we moved in. Sigh.. All is well.

The next morning was our graduation ceremony, and I guess I was a little tired after practically working up to midnight on the apartment the previous night. Either way, the ceremony went pretty well. The weather was on the chilly side, but that's about as much as one could complain about it. Here are some photos, mostly courtesy of Wai Kit's camera phone.

A Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering. Finally, I am in possession of a deceivingly humble piece of paper that certifies my abilities and competency as a chemical engineer. Of course, the magna cum laude honors didn't hurt either. A part of me wishes that my parents were there, but another part of me knows they will be there when I complete my postgraduate studies in the future. My uncle and cousin made it, though and I am truly grateful to them for everything.

Right after the graduation I was off on my uncle's car to West Liberty, Iowa where I spent a couple of days with the family prior to my departure. After spending two days primarily with my cousin Kalai and tending to Dovie and Flicka, I took the Megabus across the state to Des Moines, where I visited Julian. It was nice that I finally managed to explore downtown Des Moines on foot, and had a wonderful two days there. I am really glad I made the trip to Iowa prior to leaving the US.. I especially appreciate both my uncle and Julian taking days off from their jobs to entertain me..

Another Megabus trip later, I was back in the windy city. I really enjoyed those final days. Joe, Kyle, Bing, James, Xuan - thank you so much for playing such an integral part in making my final few days in the city all the more memorable. I am certain we will meet again at some point in our lives, and boy do I look forward to those times.

With that, I bade goodbye to the city of Chicago.. a truly wonderful city. The soothing breeze, those bitter winds; the blooming buds of spring, those dying leaves of fall. A city that never failed to lighten my mood - even in the most bitter of snowstorms.

Life must go on, yet these roots I will always cherish. A few more photographs, if to merely conclude this chapter in my life with a sugar-coating..