I’ve been thinking back over the past 5 years of my life and reflecting on how I’ve grown and changed over that time.

I’ve gained so much knowledge, not just about theories, equations and things mechatronical, but about life. 

There are so many things I’ve learned and achieved a greater understanding of, from the delicate social interactions between peers in stressful settings, to the development and meaning of true friendship, and of course, love in all its different forms.

I’ve made some great friendships during my years here, people I know I will be friends with for the rest of my life.  The type of friends that even if I were to move away to some distant country and then only see again ten years later, we would still be able to hang out like I was never gone.

I feel so fortunate to have met everyone I have here, because five, ten, twenty years from now when I’m thinking back to my university days, I won’t be thinking of those times I was stuck in the library studying or working late in the lab, but rather I’ll remember the times I spent with my friends.

Stealing gourds from the St. Mike’s cafeteria (The Canada Room) with Mark Delukovich to hold them hostage.  Ultimately trying to force the cafeteria to make more chicken burgers and sweet and sour pork. (Part 1, Part 2)

Dancing at Piccadilly’s [1], Friday nights at Molly Bloom’s drinking with the guys, the epic ice fight at Paul’s [2] and all of his awesome BBQ’s and new year’s parties [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8], home made green beer, all the dinner dances [9, 10, 11, 12], countless birthdays, everyone except those implanted with chips in their brains *coughJustinScottcough* complaining about their work experiences, hearing tales of cunning and wit of friends stalking each other in MIE Assassin.

Times at the cottage running from the sauna to the lake and back again in the middle of the night…sometimes naked…because “WE’RE GOING STREEEAAAAKKIIIIIINNNNNNG”, singing at the top of our lungs while rocking out to Andrew’s old time rock ‘n roll until the early morning.

Getting our iron rings [13], trying to figure out what the hell we’re going to do with our lives (damn you MBA’ers, you’re only delaying the inevitable!!), moments of comfort from a friend’s advice, a tight embrace [14], or a moment of tenderness [15].

Talks with my sisters about girls, philosophizing with my mom, windsurfing with my dad.

Traveling with Christina, Baileys and chocolate milk with Sonia, rock climbing with Sam, dreaming up entrepreneurial plans to make millions…no…billions with Gillies, comparing asses with Scott, dancing with Nicole, getting jealous of Kopec’s salsa skills, finding someone out there hairier than me (thanks Justin =), getting rocked by Chad in football, the love of Steven Colbert with Bea, wonton soup with Steve, sharing the “Windo-Motion South” intern experience (cold chamber) with Rohn, going to the bathroom beside some tree on Eglinton in broad daylight with Kurz on the way to S-Dance…because damnit we REALLY had to go!

I want to talk about everyone and everything, but I can’t, because there’s so many amazing people in our group of friends and so many memories.  I want you all to know how grateful I am to have you in my life (and all that other mushy stuff).

The final piece of the puzzle for me that really added that special touch to the end of my university career came from something small. When I first came to university, I worked my ass off and won the f!rosh hard hat competition by turning my hardhat into a remote control hardhat car.  Now, in my last year, I was able to use parts of that car for one of my final projects, a rotating turret that scans a room with an ultrasonic sensor and shoots at people if they come into it’s field of fire, which I also worked my ass off for.  It may seem insignificant to most, but for me it meant something special.  It was the final piece that completed the picture for this part of my life, closed the loop if you will, or [some other sort of metaphorical comparison here].  I could sit back and finally say “There, now I’m done.”

Now I begin a new chapter of my life, and as much you might hear me bitch and complain “man…..I have to go find a REAL job now, bah!!”, I’m actually quite excited.  I know that I’ll find something I love doing, and hey, even if I don’t, I’ll always have my family and friends, and any future with all of you in my life will certainly be a great one.