September 1

My last 1st of September that is the true “back to school” day.
There have been 21 1st of Septembers that I have been actively participated in. That’s a lot!

1987 - I was 7 and I went to school. For the very first time (I couldn’t attend the kindergarten, because I was allergic to milk, so I just grew up on my own with my grandfather at the countryside, being the daughter of oceans and winds). But I started from the grade 2 (why bother with grade 1, if you can skip it?) I was so excited: There will be people! My Mum walked me to school (that was the only time she did that). I had a huge bouquet of gladioluses (my favorite flowers then) for my teacher. I had a white shirt and pleaded skirt. I saw so many people. I met my class teacher Ene Saar. She seemed very nice. She stayed as my teacher until grade 4. But we still talk until this day.
On my way home I met my classmate Urmas. He lived just next door. His sister was the best student in my school. We became friends for the first year. But then at some point I met the girls, and then somehow it wasn’t cool anymore to play with boys. How sad.

1995 – I started high school. I can’t remember much about the years between this year and the first year. It was exciting too. I stayed at my old school. But there were new people. And for the first time I was in grade 12A. Until that year I had always been in B. We also had a C. Obviously there is always the rivalry between the groups. And A always sort of means the elite. I was also now in the same class with Ingmar, who had been my secret crush for years (before he was in A). And I was in the same class as Kullionu, my best friend. We did so many things over the three years of high school.
And we got a new class teacher Tiina. She was the English teacher. She had just started at the school (fresh graduate), and we didn’t make her life easy. She actually finished teaching high schools with us after grade 12.
1997 – starting grade 12. Big day. I had a yellow shirt and way too short skirt. I got to hold Jaanikas (Reelika’s cousin) hand and walk her in through the school doors. It’s the tradition we have, that the leaving class brings the first graders in. I think I still brought gladioluses to my teacher.
1998 – I started university. University of Tartu, first year of Biology (I was convinced that Biology is not my calling. But through the evil chance I had just failed the attempt to become a student in Public Administration. I just thought that I will switch the field during the first year. I never did.). We started together with Kullionu (she was in Estonian language). We moved to Tartu together, lived together on the Rahu st, in a tiny cubicle room, with a crazy lady as a landlady (she loved to steel our spoons, and she had a very adventurous tool to make curly hair – iron rod that she heated up on the oven element). We didn’t have money to pay for the bus.
The first day we went to the big welcome speech at the main building. It was a sunny and very hot day. There were way too many people in one room. Poor Kullionu couldn’t take it and she passed out. That was the highlight of the day  Afternoon we walked on the Toome hill, dreaming about the future. Where we would be in 5 years, we thought. I don’t think I had any deep thoughts on that. I just thought I would be done and probably have a job. How boring… And I would have never guessed I would be in Canada… and grad school. No way. Only crazy people do grad school. And quite honestly, I don’t think I even knew what grad school meant.
Maybe in 5 years from now I will be a diplomat in New Zealand? Just a thought.

2002 – I started my Masters in Biology at the University of Tartu. I had worked in the bank all summer, and I even considered staying there. But it just seemed a now challenging enough. So I came for Masters. I remember I was walking to the lab on the September 1st, and stopped to sit at the fountain in front of the library. I was thinking, is it really what I want? Am I happy here? I know I wasn’t happy. But I didn’t have an alternative plan either.
The afternoon we gathered around the Jakob Hurt sculpture to start our (Biology frosh) intro walk. All was good – there was ethanol mixed with orange juice (for “elder”) and ethanol mixed with some cheap drink mix for the freshmen. While the “elder” were sitting and drinking and chatting (some of our year were still finishing their undergrad, some were in grad school. There was lots to talk about – past and future), the “newbies” got tied together with the rope and they were drinking (with the faster pace) their drinks. And then we started the walk to introduce all the important places in Tartu. As usual, 10 minutes into the walk, nobody had any memories to be recollected of the event.

2003 – I was in Ottawa. I wanted to start my Masters here. I couldn’t start in September. But yet I was working at the lab and I was technically a student. I went to all the free BBQ’s with Julianne. I also got myself an ISIC card made. And I got it. I wasn’t even a student at that time. The sun was shining. I was happy. Good days were ahead.

2004 – I was already the Master’s student at the University of Ottawa. Same things as a year before: Free BBQs and agenda and everything else that’s free. I was thinking that it could be my last one, so I need to enjoy.

2006 – I was still at the University of Ottawa. I was in the PhD program. I attended every single free food event. I was becoming active at our graduate student council and I organized the very first Welcome Week Pub Crawl. It was successful. This year, 2008, it’s going to be the third one. For me it’s going to be the last one – to organize and to attend.

2008 – Twenty and more years later – I’m still at school. University of Ottawa. September 1st is still a special day. But the end is near. Today was sunny and warm. I spent it relaxing and thinking of the past and future. I had pho with Julia and Leslie. I feel happy. And the future is exciting. I wonder where I will be in one year. Vancouver? Paris? Tanzania?