The more I am a journalist, the more I embrace talking to strangers. You grow up learning don’t talk to strangers. I do the opposite almost every day. I approach people with a smile, hoping they don’t think I dangerous or creepy. Regardless, I feel like a creeper.

Take today for instance; I walked around stalking book bags. I am working on an article about how people use them. So I strolled up to about 10 different unsuspecting students. And to make me look even more out of place and strange, I was carrying a scale. A turquoise bathroom scale that I used to weigh the individual bags. . . .

I’m a KU alumna! I made it. I walked through the Campanile, down the hill and sat in Memorial Stadium on Sunday.

I was not sure that day would ever come. All the early mornings trudging up the hill to class made the easy walk down the hill seem light years away. But I finally made it.

Now on to the next phase in life. Well, I suppose “phases” is the more appropriate word. Cole and I now have an apartment, no more student housing. He has a grown-up job, and I am on the look for one. (So if you know of any jobs in Lincoln, feel free to contact me.) Then the wedding happens June 11, which is just a few weeks away. . . .

So while this weekend will be my last time in Lawrence, I have an exciting first on Sunday! I get to walk through the Campanile. For all of you who aren’t Jayhawks, the legend is that if you walk through the Campanile before you graduate, you will never graduate. And I didn’t want to risk it!

So I am excited to walk through the Campanile, and down the hill, which KU info tells me is about 300 steps. I think I can make it that far. After walking across campus, up and down hills many hills, I would hope I could make it. . . .

The last few weeks have been full of lasts: my last day of class, my last day of coaching gymnastics, my last meal at the dining hall, my last day at Mother Earth news and my last final.

All these lasts mean I will leave Lawrence soon to start a new adventure. My adventure starts this weekend with graduation. After four years in Lawrence, I have grown to love the place. It has an eco-friendly, friendly vibe that I will miss. And honestly, all the conveniences, such as Wal-Mart and Culver’s, are welcome after I have spent time back at home in rural Kansas. . . .

To the day, I worked at Mother Earth News Magazine in Topeka, Kan., for one year. As I walked out of the building, it was a little sad knowing I was leaving the best journalism experience I have ever had.

At a big magazine, it would be easy to just make interns do grunt work. I mean someone has to do all the filing and moving of boxes. But at Mother Earth News, the staff treats the interns like part of the team. I got to edit stories, post articles online, write blogs, find photos, track the Web site and Tweet at readers all day long. I got to do real magazine work as an intern. . . .