NSLI-Y Alumni Lunch... as a high school graduate!

After (finally) graduating from high school yesterday, I had organized a NSLI-Y alumni lunch downtown today, and so spent the day in Chicago. It was myself, two girls who spent this past school year in Russia, one girl who spent the past year in Taiwan, and a girl who just found out she was a semi-finalist for China year. So applicant and alumni lunch, I suppose. Everyone was really wonderful though - it's nice to do this every so often, and just spend a few hours with NSLI-Y people, talking about NSLI-Y things.

It was the weirdest thing though, to introduce myself.

"I'm Diana, I was in Amman for the summer of 2011."
"Do you go to Northwestern?" (I was wearing a Wildcats sweatshirt).
"No, I just graduated from high school." (WHAAAAA?)
"Oh, where do you go to school?"
"Well, when I said just graduated, I meant yesterday, so I'm moving to Swaziland in three weeks."
"Oh, what are you doing there?" (I love how exchange students aren't in shock of anything about those kinds of plans, because everyone has those kinds of plans. It's a welcome break from the dropped jaws I get elsewhere.)
"Just going to study for a couple years to get my IB diploma." (Also love how exchange students don't need me to explain how IB works, and how it's typical in some countries to do high school, college, then university).
"Oh. Cool."

HOW IS THIS REAL LIFE?



NSLI-Y Alumni in Chicago (Taiwan, Russia, Russia, and myself on the right, repping Jordan)