"kimono"

This kimono makes me smile for a few reasons. One because my office mate who is quickly becoming a fantastic friend taught abroad in Japan for two years and finds it remarkable we're calling this trend a kimono trend. It makes me giggle a bit to think what Americans are calling kimonos are so vastly different from what a kimono actually is.

But it mostly makes me smile because it makes me think of my student staff member -who I have grown to love and adore- who is graduating in a few short weeks. She knew that I was obsessing with a kimono I saw on the Bachelor this season so she tracked it down online but because it was sold out (clearly I was not alone i my obsession) she found a similar option from the same brand. Just to put it out there in case it wasn't obvious: she was not tasked to do this for her job.

My current role is my first role in higher education and I graduated from undergrad five years ago. It has been a long time since I've been around college students. One of the real highlights of this position has been to work with a student staff member. However, I didn't anticipate the connection I would build with my student staff assistant and the flurry of emotions I'm feeling surrounding her graduation. It makes me proud like a mama bear and thrilled for her for what is to come. At the same time, it makes me a bit sad I won't have anyone to chat with about all things Beyonce, J.Crew sales and well made purses she's always seeming to find hiding deep down in the corner of H&M.

It's also caused me to stop and reflect (if that's not already obvious) on my own graduation, how unclear things looked to me at that moment, and what the past five years have been like. Had you told me 2 weeks before my graduation that five years later I would be where I am now doing what I'm doing now, I would have laughed and told you to pass me a jello shot. It was college, don't judge. It makes me think I should probably relax a bit about the next five years. Because clearly things work out well and in unforeseen ways. But I did say should....

And this is really corny but it makes me so excited for post-grad life to unfold for my student staff member because its just so much fun in the most unexpected ways. Hopefully, she doesn't mind coffee dates once in a while with her granny of a former supervisors.