The ceremony itself was a surprise, too. Given Kaust's unmatched history of ineptitude I fully expected the whole thing to be a disaster. But it wasn't. It was actually really pleasant in its own way. It was simple, and short, and it managed to create an atmosphere that I really liked. It made me feel like we were alone there on the shore of the sea, going about our business just like everyone else in the world. And I felt happy to be there on that day, carrying out this particular bit of business. It was quaint and meaningful.
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| Well done, Kaust. |
Leading up to the ceremony everyone was gathered together in their silly wizard-like robes. There was conversation and laughter, fatigue and heat stroke (just kidding), and all at once you felt like you hadn't had enough time to spend with all of these wonderful people. My days in class, my nights in the library, the many things that I had accomplished at Kaust marched through my mind even as my classmates marched across the stage.
After the ceremony everyone gathered for a reception. It was something of a farewell party for someone like me as this would be the last time I would see most of these people ever again. There were plenty of fond goodbyes. On the surface the mood was light-hearted, but beneath the celebration was a kind of somberness.
Not 12 hours later I was flying out of Jeddah airport, away from Kaust and Saudi Arabia for the last time. I looked down at the city and the sun rising on the coast. I knew that I missed the Kaust of those last few days. But even now that I'm home I feel like I'm not really done with Kaust, partly because I still have weird dreams about it and partly because they still haven't given me my diploma.
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