The Avon Stream, Redux

This very possibly marks the last opportunity I will have to post a blog entry from Bristol, and I figured I had to take advantage of that opportunity for old time's sake. I'm back in Britain to celebrate an era that came to an end yesterday at a pompous (but exceedingly well-organized) graduation ceremony at which, to the strains of thunderous organ music, my classmates and I were officially awarded our master's degrees. Actually, you might more accurately say that the era came to an end after our subsequent gathering at the pub, which I imagine is the last time such a high percentage of the 2005-2006 MSc cohort will be in the same place at the same time. It is, of course, great to be back in Bristol (which, oddly enough, it feels like I never left), gratifying to receive the degree, and wonderful to see my classmates again. Still, this sort of thing is always bittersweet, since it finally hit home just how much I will miss this city, this country, and the people with whom I worked. Those of you who have been reading my blogs since Day One will remember that my first reaction to my classmates was that they appeared to me to be "one of the most outstanding groups of people I’ve had the pleasure of being associated with" and that I "will really like it here" in Bristol. A year and a half after making those predictions, my mind has not changed in the least. Have there been low points? Of course. Still, there is not the slightest doubt in my mind that I am a better person for having spent time at the University of Bristol, and I will be forever grateful to the university, the city, and above all else the people who I have had the pleasure of working with. Thanks, all. Now, off to Oxfordshire!