My body has broken down for the night. I am speaking at a barely audible level, my eyes close unvoluntarily, and I am blacking out every time I get up.

Only the self-destruction of my body could return my feet to the ground after this high!

The high of success, the high of knowing you have learned something of substance, the high of knowing professors, doctors, and graduate students are embracing your every word as though each spit of grammar is vital to their health.

After a semester of intense intellect, today I presented my research. The culmination of three months worth of struggles, hours in the library, days of stomach-wrenching nerves returned me unfathomable dividends. Today my engine has been running on one hour of sleep and four cups of coffee, all so I could maximize my remaining time to gather my research into an hour-long presentation. I hoped my presentation would last an hour. It didn't...

I stood in front of my colleagues for two and a half hours! My demeanor, my subject matter, my case study, my suggestions, my prizes: all captivated the other researchers. These scholastic wizards not only approved of me; they embraced me while still thirsting for more. A podium separating my immature body from those I have been in awe of, admiring the contribtutions they have made...

and knowing I can one day stand aside.